J-NRLF 


Jlr 


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LIBRARY 

OF   THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA, 

OIKT  OK 

Accession  Class 


FIRST    SERIES 


DEBLKWEU 


himself. 


COPYRIGHT  BY  DR.  C.  S.  CARR 
1900. 


REV.  DR.  TALKWELL 


SKETCHES 


UPREHCHEH  PREACHING  TO  HIMSELF 


By  DR.  C.  S.  CARR, 
COLUMBUS,  O. 


SERIEvS    No.   I. 

'^   OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


PUBLISHED  BY 

L/IGHT  OF  TRUTH  PUBLISHING  COMPANY, 
COLUMBUS,  OHIO. 


CL  *s- 


- 


PUBLISHER'S    PREFACE. 


In  placing  the  following  pages  before  the  read- 
ing public  in  this  form  the  publisher's  purpose  has 
been  to  give  as  wide  prominence  as  possible  to  a 
series  of  papers  by  Dr.  Talkwell,  which  have  been 
running  in  serial  form  in  the  columns  of  the 
LIGHT  OF  TRUTH.  Extensively  read  as  they  have 
been,  there  is  a  rapidly  increasing  class  of  enquir- 
ing people  to  whom  these  papers  would  appeal, 
if  brought  to  their  notice,  who  never  see  the  LIGHT 
OF  TRUTH,  and  to  that  class  this  book  is  respectfully 
introduced,  with  the  hope  that  renewed  activity  in 
reaching  for  the  higher  and  better  planes  of  relig- 
ious thought  may  follow  its  perusal. 

THE  LIGHT  OF  TRUTH  PUB.  Co. 


93443 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 


The  sketches  which  comprise  this  volume  consist  partly 
of  fiction,  partly  of  fact.  The  preacher,  Dr.  Talkwell,  and  the 
society  to  whom  he  makes  his  reports,  these  are  fiction. 

Behind  Dr.  Talkwell,  however,  there  is  a  man  whose  home 
and  manner  of  life  are  partly  described  by  the  sketches.  This 
man,  once  a  doctor,  afterwards  a  pastor  and  now  engaged  in 
other  business,  is  living  as  nearly  as  circumstances  will  permit 
the  life  which  is  ascribed  to  f)r.  Talkwell. 

In  all  other  particulars  these  sketches  portray  facts. 
Every  incident  and  character  described  are  realities.  Every 
letter  and  question,  every  conversation  and  visit  are  all  actual 
occurrences.  There  has  been  no  attempt  made  to  write  a 
story  or  to  give  these  sketches  any  literary  form.  They  are 
collected  in  this  volume  exactly  as  they  appeared  in  the  papers 
printed  in  the  same  city  where  they  were  written. 

It  was  the  original  intention  of  the  author  to  make  them 
a  series  of  character  sketches  of  every  day  occurrences.  He 
did  not  set  out  to  write  a  treatise  on  sociology  or  theology. 
Whenever  other  sketches  occur  in  this  book  they  were  written 
more  for  the  sake  of  giving  variety  and  breadth  of  thought  to 
the  series  than  any  wish  to  enter  the  arena  of  philosophical 
discussion. 

The  author  makes  no  claim  of  being  a  follower  of  Jesus. 
He  has,  however,  sought  to  make  the  life  of  Jesus  a  study,  and 
see  how  far  such  a  life  can  be  made  compatible  with  the  life 


6  AUTHOR'S    PREFACE. 

of  an  active  business  man.  At  the  same  time  that  he  has 
been  doing  this,  he  has,  through  the  assistance  of  the  little 
fiction  of  Dr.  Talkwell,  been  trying  to  imagine  how  far  the  life 
of  a  pastor  of  a  modern  church  could  be  made  to  conform  to 
that  life  which  Jesus  outlined  for  his  disciples  to  live.  In 
trying  to  bring  his  own  life  to  the  standard  set  by  Jesus  he  is 
daily  brought  in  contact  with  the  difficulties  which  would 
beset  any  preacher  who  should  make  the  same  attempt. 

The  modern  preacher  insists  upon  calling  himself  a  fol- 
lower of  Jesus.  Nothing  could  be  further  from  the  truth. 
His  habits,  tastes,  and  ambitions  are  in  direct  contradiction  to 
the  habits  which  Jesus  prescribed  for  his  disciples.  The 
so-called  minister  of  the  Gospel  of  to-day  has  little  or  nothing 
in  common,  either  in  practice  or  belief,  with  him  they  call 
Master.  His  function  in  society  may  be  a  good  one,  but  by  no 
stretch  of  imagination  can  he  be  made  to  resemble  Jesus  or 
his  disciples. 

"Dr.  Talkwell"  was  once  a  successful  preacher.  He  was 
successful  in  having  a  fine  church,  aristocratic  audiences,  and 
commanding  a  good  salary.  He  was  successful  in  having 
many  friends,  living  a  luxurious  life,  and  holding  a  good  posi- 
tion in  society.  In  short,  he  was  successful  in  everything 
except  taking  a  single  step  in  the  direction  of  following  Jesus. 

At  last  his  eyes  were  opened.  He  suddenly  became  aware 
of  the  farce  that  he  was  playing.  He  saw  the  utter  futility  of 
preaching  pleasant  platitudes  to  his  comfortable,  well-fed 
parishioners.  He  began  to  realize  that  he  was  not  touching 
the  lives  of  those  to  whom  Jesus  ministered.  Shame  and 
repentance  took  the  place  of  his  old  pride  and  selicomplac- 
ence.  He  resigned  his  pulpit  and  began  to  go  among  the 
people.  He  quit  making  sermons,  but  continued  to  talk. 
Every  Sunday  morning  he  stood  in  his  pulpit  where  he  used 
to  preach,  to  tell  the  people  his  thoughts  and  experiences 
which  had  come  to  him  by  associating  with  the  so-called  lower 
classes. 


AUTHOR'S    PREFACE.  7 

This  book  contains  a  large  number  of  these  talks.  They 
are  short  and  to  the  point.  They  deal  only  with  living  ques- 
tions of  today.  They  are  an  attempt  to  say  over  again  some 
things  that  Jesus  said  many  years  ago.  They  were  not  said  in 
the  interest  of  any  sect  or  society.  It  is  the  hope  of  the 
author  that  the  reader  may  be  made  better  acquainted  with 
the  man  Jesus.  The  author  believes  that  Jesus  has  been 
grossly  misrepresented  by  the  church ;  that  his  teachings  have 
been  perverted :  that  his  example  has  been  ignored. 

This  volume  is  the  first  one  of  a  series  of  talks  by  "  Dr. 
Talkwell,"  which  the  author  hopes  to  see  published  as  rapidly 
as  they  accumulate. 

0.  S.  CARR,  M.  D., 

Columbus,  Ohio. 


OF  THF 

UNIVERSITY 

2& 


A  CITY  PREACHER  RESIGNS. 


The  Conversion  of  a  Popular  Preacher— How  Dr.  Talk-well  became 

Dr.  Do-well. 


)HERE  was  a  sensation  in  church  circles  in  the  city  of 
Columbus.  The  Rev.  Dr.  Talkwell  had  resigned  his 
pastorate.  Strong,  self-possessed,  educated,  eloquent, 
popular,  and  the  pastor  of  one  of  the  most  flourish- 
ing churches  in  the  city.  In  the  high  water  of  financial  success 
was  the  church  which  called  him  pastor.  He  had  made  it  so  by 
his  ability  and  untiring  effort.  He  had  begun  with  a  small, 
unpretentious  church  and  made  it  one  of  the  first  churches  of 
the  city,  and  now  right  in  the  zenith  of  its  glory  and  prosperity 
he  had  suddenly  resigned  his  pastorate,  giving  no  reason  for 
his  action. 

It  occurred  at  the  regular  preaching  service  on  Sunday 
evening.  The  house  was  crowded  to  the  doors  to  hear  one  of 
his  popular  lectures.  Expressions  of  astonishment  and  regret 
were  heard  on  every  hand,  but  the  church  officials  were 
shocked  and  astounded  beyond  measure.  It  was  as  if  a 
thunderbolt  had  fallen  out  of  a  clear  sky.  After  a  hurried 
consultation  a  committee  was  appointed  to  wait  on  the  doctor 
next  morning  for  an  explanation  of  his  extraordinary  conduct. 

The  committee  was  composed  of  men  of  learning,  wealth 
and  business  integrity.  They  found  the  doctor  in  his  study 
awaiting  them,  for  he  had  heard  they  were  coming.  The 
friendly  greetings  were  followed  by  a  short,  awkward  pause. 
The  chairman  of  the  committee,  a  prominent  lawyer,  began, 
rather  hesitatingly,  the  business  before  them. 


10  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

"We  have  called,  doctor,  as  a  committee  from  the  church 
to  ask  your  reasons  for  your  unexpected  resignation,  and  if 
possible,  to  persuade  you  to  reconsider  your  step." 

A  solemn  hush  followed  the  question,  in  which  the  doctor 
calmly  looked  at  his  brethren,  and  they  as  calmly  awaited  his 
answer.  Never  before  in  their  acquaintance  had  they  faced 
each  other  as  man  and  man,  but  their  relations  had  always 
been  of  an  official  character  and  their  few  business  transactions 
of  a  clumsy,  stereotyped  fashion,  in  which  he  seemed  to  them 
a  curious  mixture  of  priest,  pastor,  teacher  and  hireling,  while 
they  were  to  him  little  more  than  his  financial  managers. 
But  now  they  all  appeared  as  if  they  had  some  real  busi- 
ness to  attend  to. 

With  suppressed  feeling  the  doctor  at  length  replied : 
"  Your  question  is  natural  and  direct,  and  my  reply  shall  be 
the  same.  My  reason  for  resigning  the  pastorate  of  a  Christian 
church  is  that  I  am  not,  nor  have  I  ever  been,  a  Christian 
minister." 

u  Why,  doctor,"  they  replied  in  chorus,  "  we  are  astonished 
to  hear  you  say  so.  Surely  this  must  be  some  joke  or  delusion, 
for  a  man  that  has  been  as  useful  and  successful  as  you  have 
been  in  our  city — of  unquestionable  character  and  Christian 
scholarship,  of  which  we  have  been  proud — not  a  Christian 
minister?  We  don't  know  what  you  mean." 

u  1  am  not  going  to  deny,"  the  doctor  answered  quietly, 
"  I  have  made  myself  useful  to  the  church  and  to  the  city,  and 
in  perhaps  many  other  ways.  What  I  am  denying  is  that  I  am 
a  Christian  minister.  There  are  many  useful  men  in  this 
world  besides  Christian  ministers.  Perhaps  I  may  be  classed 
as  useful,  but  I  have  no  vestige  of  excuse  for  calling  myself  a 
follower  of  Jesus,  in  a  Scriptural  sense.  I  am  not  dissatisfied 
with  my  position  in  society.  I  am  well  content  with  my 
success,  proud  of  my  church,  grateful  for  the  enthusiastic  sup- 
port you  have  given  me,  but  so  long  as  I  remain  the  pastor  of 
your  church,  so  long  I  stand  before  the  public  posing  as  a 


A    CITY    PREACHER    RESIGNS.  11 

disciple  or  follower  of  Jesus.  This  is  a  falsehood  to  which  I 
can  not  be  a  party  any  longer.  For  several  years  the  convic- 
tion has  been  gradually  growing  upon  me  that,  while  my 
function  in  society  is  a  perfectly  legitimate  and  useful  one,  I 
have  no  more  right  to  call  myself  a  follower  of  Jesus  than  I 
have  to  call  myself  a  follower  of  Buddha  or  Mahomet  or 
Brigham  Young.  All  these  said  good  things,  did  good  things, 
and  in  a  general  way  other  good  men  can  copy  them  to  good 
advantage.  But  on  the  other  hand,  these  leaders  of  men  had 
peculiarities  which  constituted  their  special  mission,  and  it  is 
the  adoption  of  these  particular  peculiarities  that  give  one  the 
right  to  claim  to  be  a  disciple  or  follower. 

"  To  try  to  do  good  in  a  general  way  and  teach  the  truth 
as  seems  to  be  needed  by  the  present  generation,  is  certainly 
a  good  work,  and  I  am  not  at  all  discouraged  at  what  I  have 
accomplished,  but  this  gives  me  no  honest  pretext  for  calling 
myself  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  Jesus  founded  no  church, 
taught  no  creed,  headed  no  sqcial  reform,  advocated  no  school 
of  divinity,  philosophy  or  ethics,  but  simply  chose  the  lowly 
and  outcast  as  his  associates  and  friends  and  taught  his 
disciples  to  do  likewise.  Had  I  been  related  to  Jerusalem  in 
his  day  as  I  am  to  Columbus  in  this  day,  I  would  probably 
never  have  met  Jesus  at  all,  or  at  least  his  life  would  have 
seemed  to  me  a  dismal  failure,  unworthy  of  other- notice  than 
pity. 

u  Why  do  I  allow  people  to  call  me  a  Christian  minister? 
I  have  done  nothing  to  warrant  such  title.  I  associate  with 
the  best  people,  live  in  the  best  part  of  the  city,  dress  like  a 
gentleman.  I  not  only  have  a  place  to  lay  my  head,  but  no 
king  could  have  a  better  place.  All  I  know  of  the  outcasts 
or  depraved  is  what  I  learn  by  hearsay  or  occasional  hasty 
visits  to  some  poor  family,  about  whom  I  know  next  to 
nothing,  and  with  whom  I  have  nothing  in  common. 

"  Now,  as  long  as  I  remain  in  a  so-called  Christian  pulpit 
I  am  in  false  relations  to  the  people.  I  had  my  choice  either 


12  REV.    TALKWEIX'S    SKETCHES. 

to  announce  to  my  congregation  that  I  was  not  a  follower  of 
Christ  or  resign.  I  thought  to  resign  would  be  the  least  sen- 
sational and  create  the  least  shock.  I  do  not  think  you  would 
care  to  have  a  man  preach  to  you  after  he  had  publicly 
announced  that  he  did  not  profess  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus 
in  any  true  sense  of  the  phrase." 

"  But,"  expostulated  the  brethren,  "  you  have  always 
taught  us  that  to  live  a  prayerful  and  sincere  life  was  to  be  a 
Christian,  and  surely  you  have  done  this?" 

u  To  simply  live  a  prayerful  and  sincere  life,"  replied  the 
doctor,  "  is  certainly  religious,  and  the  kind  of  religion  that 
Jesus  heartily  approved  of,  but  this  has  nothing  whatever  to 
do  with  the  Christian  ministry.  Jesus  did  not  call  all  men  to 
be  Christian  ministers,  or  to  be  his  followers.  During  his 
lifetime  he  called  only  a  very  few  to  be  his  disciples.  To  the 
world  in  general  he  made  no  call,  but  rather  brought  an 
announcement  of  good  news.  He  said  to  the  world:  '  God  is 
your  father,  not  your  angry  judge  and  ruler.  God  loves  you, 
he  is  not  mad  at  you.  God  sympathizes  with  you,  he  does 
not  hate  you.'  This  he  said  to  the  whole  world,  high  and 
low,  good  and  bad,  and  he  sought  to  bring  to  the  world  peace, 
which  comes  from  a  complete  acceptance  of  such  a  faith  as 
this." 

"  But  he  called  out  of  the  world  a  few  chosen  ones  to  be 
his  disciples;  to  be  his  ministers;  to  live  as  he  lived;  to 
spend  their  lives  among  the  outcast  and  downtrodden  ;  to  turn 
away  from  fortune,  family  and  fame,  to  carry  his  message  to 
the  poor.  To  live  among  them,  to  stay  among  them,  to 
become  acquainted  with  their  peculiar  trials  and  besetments. 
I  have  done  none  of  these  things.  No  doubt  Jesus  would 
approve  of  what  I  have  done,  but  I  am  sure  that  he  would  not 
regard  me  as  one  of  his  ministers  or  disciples." 

u  I  recall,"  spoke  the  chairman  of  the  committee,  "  that 
your  sermons  lately  have  been  chiefly  on  Christian  disciple- 
ship.  Your  position  seemed  to  me  to  have  been  very  logical, 


A    CITY     PREACHER    RESIGNS.  13 

and  well  taken.  You  showed  us  that  we,  all  of  us,  ought  to 
be  Christian  ministers ;  that  a  good  mechanic,  an  honest 
lawyer,  a  conscientious  merchant,  are  each  as  much  ministers 
of  Christ  as  the  one  who  officiates  as  the  pastor  or  preacher  of 
a  church.  I  thought  that  was  good  doctrine,  but  I  can  not  see 
how  your  teachings  harmonize  with  your  present  position." 
u  Unfortunately,  it  harmonizes  only  too  well  with  my 
attitude  at  present,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  You  are,  so  are 
any  other  honest  men,  as  much  Christian  ministers  as  I  am. 
You  are  living  honest,  prosperous  lives,  so  am  I.  My  vocation 
is  teaching.  I  teach  theology,  ethics,  history  and  English 
literature  generally.  If  I  am  as  honest  and  sincere  as  you 
gentlemen  are  in  your  vocations  I  am  as  much  a  Christian 
minister  as  any  of  you,  but  no  more.  The  truth  is,  brethren, 
that  none  of  us  are  Christian  ministers.  We  are  doing  pre- 
cisely as  other  men  are.  We  are  seeking  to  gain  a  livelihood 
in  a  respectable  way  and  with  as  little  contact  with  disagree- 
able circumstances  and  people  as  possible.  I  do  not  condemn 
this  course  of  life.  I  simply  say  it  is  not  living  the  life  of  a 
Christian  minister.  The  atheistical  chemist  in  our  university 
is  discovering  and  teaching  truth,  God's  truth,  just  as  much  as 
I  am.  The  agnostic  physician  of  our  congregation  is  making 
his  vocation  a  blessing  to  the  people,  and  in  fact,  is  minister- 
ing more  directly  to  the  people  than  I  am.  The  unbelieving 
mechanic  who  sometimes  listens  to  my  theology  is  rearing  a 
large  family  in  a  quiet,  unpretentious  way ;  is  respected  by 
his  associates  as  a  truthful  and  sympathetic  friend,  although 
he  does  not  believe  one  word  of  Christian  theology.  The  addi- 
tion to  their  lives  of  all  that  I  teach  would  not  make  one  of 
these  men  a  whit  more  capable  or  useful,  in  their  lives  of  min 
istry  than  they  are  now.  This  is  what  I  have  been  saying  in 
my  pulpit,  and  this  is  what  I  am  saying  now.  Are  these  men 
followers  of  Jesus  ?  If  so,  then  I  am  a  follower  of  Jesus.  If 
not,  then  I  am  not  and  you  are  not.  Really,  brethren,  it  is 
these  very  reflections  that  have  led  me  to  take  the  step  that  I 
have  taken." 


14  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

"  The  committee  would  like  to  know,"  said  the  spokes- 
man, "  exactly  what  you  mean  by  following  Jesus  ? " 

"  Alas,  brethren,  your  question  is  a  serious  charge  against 
my  ministry  among  you.  I  have  been  your  minister  for  more 
than  a  score  of  ^ears,  a  professed  follower  of  Jesus,  with  no 
other  real  work  among  you  except  to  teach  you  to  become 
followers  of  Jesus  by  precept  and  example.  And  now,  after 
all  these  years,  you  ask  me  what  it  is  I  mean  by  following 
Jesus.  The  fault  is  my  own ;  I  confess  it.  I  have  not  been 
clear  on  the  subject  myself,  in  my  precepts,  and  as  for  my 
example,  I  have  done  nothing  whatever  but  to  do  what  any 
other  rational  creature  would  have  done  had  he  never  heard 
of  Jesus.  But  since  you  ask  me  what  I  mean  by  following 
Jesus,  I  will  attempt  to  give  a  brief  answer." 


WHY  A  CITY  PREACHER  RESIGNED. 


What  is  it  to  Follow  Jesus  ?— A  Preacher  Preaching  to  Himself. 


UR  readers  will  recollect  that  we  left  Dr.  Talkwell 
in  his  study  surrounded  by  an  anxious  church  com- 
mittee, who  had  called  to  ask  his  reasons  for  so 
suddenly  resigning  as  the  pastor  of  their  church. 
He  had  replied  to  the  committee  that  one  of  the  reasons  for 
his  taking  this  step  was  that  he  did  not  any  longer  consider 
himself  a  fit  man  to  be  called  a  Christian  minister  or  a  follower 
of  Jesus. 

The  committee  then  asked  him  to  define  what  he  meant 
by  following  Jesus,  and  the  doctor  replied  : 

"  Your  question  shows  me  very  clearly  how  little  I  have 
been  really  teaching  you  about  Jesus  all  of  these  years.  But 
in  a  few  words  I  will  attempt  to  tell  you  what  I  mean  by 
following  Jesus.  In  the  first  place  Jesus  did  not  call  men  to 
be  his  followers.  Jesus  did  not  come  to  condemn  the  world. 
He  seemed  to  approve  of  the  evolution  of  society  as  he  found 
it.  He  found  cruelty,  injustice,  superstition,  ignorance  and 
hypocrisy  in  the  world,  just  as  we  find  it  now.  He  instituted 
no  crusade  against  these  things,  headed  no  special  reform  to 
exterminate  them.  He  seemed  to  believe  all  these  things 
were  working  out  the  problem  of  human  society..  To  be  sure, 
he  approved,  condemned,  corrected,  comforted  and  encour- 
aged. But  he  did  these  things  only  as  friend  meets  friend. 
He  sought  no  special  opportunities.  If  he  addressed  a  mul- 
titude it  was  only  because  circumstances  conspired  to  bring  it 
about.  His  words  were  addressed  to  the  particular  person  or 


16  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

persons  he  happened  to  be  in  conversation  with.  He  wrote 
no  book,  nor  sought  in  any  way  to  perpetuate  his  teachings 
beyond  their  natural  influence  at  the  time  they  were  said. 
What  he  tried  to  do,  was  to  persuade  a  few  men  to  become  his 
followers,  to  seek  the  life  he  sought,  to  give  their  lives  for  those 
who  need  help. 

"  He  saw  in  the  natural  evolution  of  society  that  the 
ignorant,  the  weak  and  poor  would  naturally  be  oppressed  with 
all  sorts  of  injustice  and  cruelty.  It  was  to  this  class  that  he 
went.  It  was  to  this  class  that  he  invited  his  disciples  to 
go.  To  be  sure,  he  invited  all  men  to  be  saved  from  sin, 
and  taught  them  how  they  could  be  saved.  But  his  minis- 
ters, his  few  special  disciples,  he  sought  to  make  them  saviors 
in  the  same  way  that  he  had  been  their  savior.  He  turned 
his  back  on  the  world  and  its  allurements  of  fame,  comfort, 
reputation  and  honorable  standing  in  the  community.  He 
became  of  no  repute,  had  not  where  to  lay  his  head,  hunted 
as  a  common  criminal,  ate  with  publicans  and  sinners,  sneered 
at  as  a  wine  bibber,  the  friend  of  harlots  and  the  woman  of 
Samaria,  and  was  finally  arrested,  tried  and  executed  as  a 
blasphemer. 

"  All  this  he  did  for  those  whom  the  natural  evolution  of 
human  society  had  crushed  and  has  continued  to  crush  ever 
since.  To  those  who  needed  no  physician,  to  those  who  had 
been  successful  in  keeping  apace  with  the  evolution  of  human 
society,  he  was  not  called.  The  well  need  no  physician.  It 
was  to  the  sick  ones  he  came,  the  ones  we  call  depraved, 
ignorant  and  beastly,  and  to  those  he  called  his  disciples. 
He  told  them  that  if  they  followed  him,  they  would,  like  him, 
become  of  no  repute,  their  names  would  be  a  by-word,  they 
would  be  cast  out  of  the  synagogues,  would  be  arrested  and 
tried  as  he  was,  would  be  beaten,  imprisoned,  despised,  out- 
raged and  degraded. 

u  Now,  none  of  these  things  have  happened  to  me,  simply 
because  I  have  not  followed  him  at  all.  Had  I  followed  Jesus 


WHY    A    CITY    PREACHER    RESIGNED.  17 

in  the  city  of  Columbus,  probably  no  one  of  you  would  have 
known  me  personally.  I  would  have  been  known  in  the  '  Bad 
Lands,'  in  the  police  court  and  in  the  byways  of  the  city.  I 
could  have,  like  Jesus,  become  the  friend  of  many  despairing 
souls,  but  no  one  would  have  known  it.  I  could  have  gone  in 
and  out  quietly  among  these  people,  living  a  harmless,  peace- 
ful and  contented  life,  and  shown  them — a  few  of  them  at 
least — the  way  to  solve  their  problem.  Not  by  kicking  against 
Fate  or  striving  against  the  forces  of  human  evolution ;  but 
by  quietly  submitting  to  what  occurs  as  the  providences  of  a 
wise  Father,  taking  care  only  that  love  should  be  my  motive 
in  all  my  conduct." 

u  Are  we  to  understand  you  then,  doctor,  that  you  are 
about  to  turn  your  back  upon  yonr  splendid  work  in  this  city 
and  take  up  this  sort  of  a  life  ?  "  asked  the  committee. 

"  No,"  replied  the  doctor;  UI  have  not  fully  decided  to 
become  a  disciple  of  Jesus.  I  am  so  far  committed  to  the 
ordinary  affairs  of  the  world,'  that  I  fear  I  could  not  break 
loose  again  from  them  and  become  a  true  disciple  of  Jesus 
without  doing  more  harm  than  good.  Most  of  my  family  and 
fraternal  relations  would  have  to  be  broken.  My  habits,  tastes, 
likes  and  dislikes,  formed  by  a  long  life  of  ease  and  prosperity, 
have  become  too  fixed  to  be  shaken  off  easily.  I  have  utterly 
incapacitated  myself  in  speech  and  manner  to  come  near  these 
people  without  exciting  suspicion  as  to  my  purpose  or  anger 
at  what  appears  to  them  to  be  impertinence.  The  chasm  is  so 
great  that  I  can  not  get  to  them,  I  fear.  But  at  least  I  can  do 
this  much.  I  can  refuse  to  be  called  a  Christian  minister  any 
longer.  I  am  not  a  Christian  minister.  I  am  simply  a  man  of 
the  world,  no  better  than  thousands  of  others  who  never  heard 
of  Christ,  and  I  positively  refuse  to  be  called  by  such  a  name 
any  more.  Not  all  men,  as  I  have  already  said,  are  called  to 
be  Christian  ministers.  I  fear  I  am  not  one  of  those  who  have 
been  called.  But  at  least  I  can  be  an  honest  man  and  refuse 
to  sail  under  false  colors  any  longer." 


18  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

"Bat,  doctor,  have  we  not  missionaries  to  attend  to  this 
sort  of  thing,  and  has  not  our  church  always  supported  the 
missions  of  this  city  ?  After  all,  is  not  this  kind  of  work  only 
a  branch  of  Christian  work?  Are  you  not  exaggerating  its 
importance,  when  you  make  it  all  that  Jesus  wished  his  dis- 
ciples to  do?" 

"  Yes,  we  have  missionaries,  upon  whom  I  have  tried  in 
past  times  to  shirk  my  responsibility  in  these  matters,  buf  the 
missionaries  as  a  class  come  no  nearer  following  Jesus  than 
the  regular  pastors.  They  simply  preach  to  the  people ;  they 
do  not  live  with  them.  There  is  no  real  sympathy  whatsoever. 
The  missionary,  as  a  rule,  preaches  only  the  miserable,  cast-off 
theology  that  the  pastor  has  discarded  long  ago  as  uteriable. 
Missionaries  do  these  people  far  more  harm  than  they  do  good^ 
by  holding  up  to  them  the  necessity  of  a  life  utterly  irrational 
and  impracticable.  Jesus  was  no  more  a  missionary  than  he 
was  a  preacher.  He  simply  lived  so  close  to  these  people  that 
he  brought  his  own  sweet,  pure  life  into  actual  contact  with 
theirs. 

"  As  to  the  relative  importance  of  this  so-called  branch  of 
Christian  work,  I  desire  to  put  myself  on  record  as  saying  that 
it  is  the  only  wosk  that  Jesus  called  His  ministers  to  do.  He 
did  not  call  his  ministers  to  teach  theology  or  ethics,  or  found 
churches  or  establish  colleges,  or  head  social  reforms.  He 
knew  that  these  things  would  all  occur  in  the  natural  evolu- 
tion of  human  society.  But  he  also  knew  that  'the  poor 
we  have  with  us  always.'  That  there  would  always  be  those 
who  would  be  continually  falling  under  the  wheels  of  progress, 
crushed  or  outraged.  There  is  nothing  in  the  natural  evolu- 
tion of  society  that  provides  for  this  class  of  victims  except  to 
let  them  die.  It  would  be  simply  another  example  of  the 
survival  of  the  fittest,  had  not  Jesus  interposed  and  established 
a  ministry  for  this  very  class  of  people. 

"What  the  unconscious  forces  of  society  fail  to  do,  (the 
law)  he  sought  by  self-conscious  sympathy  and  fraternity  to 


WHY    A    CITY    PREACHER    RESIGNED.  19 

accomplish,  (the  gospel).  If  I  am  to  be  a  minister  of  Jesus 
Christ  this  is  my  work  and  my  only  work.  I  have  either  got 
to  do  this  work,  to  the  exclusion  of  everything  else,  or  refuse 
to  be  called  a  Christian  minister.  Which  ^hall  it  be  brethren, 
I  ask  you  ?  I  would  really  like  your  practical  good  judgment 
in  this  matter." 

;'  Well,"  answered  the  spokesman  of  the  committee, 
u  suppose  we  should  agree  to  employ  you  at  your  present 
salary,  as  a  public  instructor,  disband  our  present  organization 
as  a  church,  form  ourselves  into  a  secular  society,  use  our 
church  property  as  the  plant  by  which  we  carry  on  our  work,  and 
our  pulpit  shall  be  the  rostrum  from  which  you  will  continue 
to  instruct  the  people  as  you  have  in  times  past.  Suppose  we 
agree  to  all  this,  can  we  hope  to  retain  you  as  our  instructor?" 

"  I  thank  you,  brethren,  for  your  consideration  of  my 
feelings ;  but  I  shall  not  be  able  this  morning  to  decide  the 
matter.  I  have  not  wholly  given  up  the  idea  of  becoming  a 
Christian  minister.  If  I  should  so  decide,  of  course  we  will 
have  no  further  business  with  each  other ;  for  in  that  case  you 
would  not  have  any  use  for  me,  nor  would  I  have  any  use  for 
you.  But  should  I  conclude  to  serve  you  in  the  capacity  in 
which  I  have  been  serving  you,  dropping  all  titles,  names  and 
formalities  which  serve  in  the  least  particular  to  convey  the 
pretense  that  I  am  a  Christian  minister,  or  that  we  are  a 
Christian  church,  or  that  there  could  be  any  such  thing  as  a 
Christian  church,  if  I  conclude  to  adopt  such  a  course  of  life, 
I  will  inform  your  committee  of  the  fact  soon  enough  to  begin 
to  act  in  the  matter. 

u  In  the  meantime,  brethren,  I  trust  you  will  understand 
my  reasons  for  resigning,  and  I  hope  that  the  reasons  may 
seem  as  important  to  you  as  they  do  to  me." 

What  will  he  do.  this  doctor  of  divinity,  in  the  zenith  of 
his  strength,  physical  and  mental ;  versatile,  capable,  possessed 
of  practical  common  sense  and  ripe  scholarship?  Will  he 
decide  to  become  to  our  city  what  Jesus  became  to  Palestine? 


20  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

Will  he  decide  to  enter  with  his  strength  and  purity  the  slums 
and  hovels  of  wretchedness  of  Columbus?  To  become  the 
personal  friend  and  adviser  of  these  people?  Will  he  give  his 
life  for  them,  as  Jesus  gave  his  life  for  sinners  ?  If  so,  blessed 
will  be  Columbus  in  the  midst  of  the  cities  of  the  earth.  Her 
palaces  of  shame  will  be  brought  low  and  her  hovels  of  virtue 
exalted,  her  waste  places  be  made  glad  and  those  that  dwell 
in  the  riches  and  security  of  iniquity  shall  be  overturned  and 
brought  to  naught. 

Will  he,  however,  decide  to  continue  his  course  as  a  regular 
doctor  of  divinity?  Continue  his  comfortable,  successful,  pop- 
ular, reputable  course  of  life,  having  for  his  portion  the  best 
clothes,  the  best  food,  the  best  of  society,  the  best  of  everything 
that  the  land  can  furnish?  Will  he?  Then  Columbus, like  other 
cities  of  the  earth,  will  continue  to  have  its  slums,  its  poor 
and  outraged,  its  degraded  and  its  vicious,  growing  more 
numerous  and  appalling  every  year,  with  no  one  who  has  the 
strength  and  courage  to  succor  them.  Which  will  he  do? 


A  COLLEGE-MADE  PREACHER. 


Preparation  for  the  Ministry— Dr.  Talkwell  Has  Resigned 


.  TALKWELL  had  resigned  as  the  successful  pastor 
of  one  of  the  most  flourishing  churches  in  the  city, 
on  the  grounds  that  his  functions  as  the  pastor  of  a 
modern  church  did  not  entitle  him  to  be  called  a 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  His  astonished  brethren  called  upon 
him  for  an  explanation.  After  a  brief  conversation,  in  which 
the  doctor  explained  to  his  brethren  that,  according  to  his 
growing  convictions  as  to.  the  work  of  a  Christian  minister,  he 
could  no  longer  conscientiously  pose  as  one  and  remain  pastor 
of  any  church,  he  intimated  that  he  would  speak  to  them  in 
the  capacity  of  an  instructor  at  some  future  time,  but  he 
should  insist  that  it  be  thoroughly  understood  that  he  no  longer 
pretended  to  stand  before  the  public  as  a  Christian  minister. 
Desirous  of  hearing  a  fuller  explanation  of  the  doctor's 
position  on  the  subject  of  the  work  of  a  Christian  minister,  he 
was  invited  to  give  a  course  of  lectures  under  the  auspices  of 
a  secular  society,  known  as  the  Board  of  Popular  Instruction. 
As  the  society  was  composed  practically  of  his  old  congrega- 
tion and  as  his  rostrum  was  to  be  his  old  pulpit,  the  doctor 
was  only  too  glad  to  accept  the  invitation.  Only  a  summary  of 
these  lectures  can  be  given  from  time  to  time,  leaving  the 
reader  to  elaborate  each  one  for  himself. 

Before  beginning  his  lecture,  the  doctor  said:  I  wish  to 
repeat  what  I  have  already  stated  to  your  committee,  and 
what  I  shall  take  the  liberty  of  repeating  many  times  in  the 
future,  if  I  should  continue  this  series  of  lectures ;  that  I  have 


22  REV.    TALKWELI/S    SKETCHES. 

no  charge  whatever  against  that  class  of  individuals  who  call 
themselves  Christian  ministers.  As  a  class,  I  know  them  to 
be  educated,  hard-working  and  thoroughly  conscientious  indi- 
viduals. That  their  wish  and  purpose  is  to  promulgate  right- 
eousness, according  to  their  notion  of  the  meaning  of  the  word. 
I  have  not  resigned  from  the  pulpit  because  of  any  disparag- 
ing opinions  I  hold  of  the  work  of  the  modern  pulpit.  There 
is  no  greater  or  more  timely  force  at  work  in  society  than  the 
pulpit.  But  for  myself,  I  see  no  reason  whatever  why  my  work 
as  a  preacher  and  pastor  of  a  modern  church  gives  me  any 
excuse  for  posing  as  a  Christian  minister.  Should  I  continue 
in  this  course  of  lectures,  they  will  take  up  in  detail  the 
reasons  why  I  have  reached  this  conclusion. 

Today  I  propose  to  inquire  whether  1  ever  prepared  my- 
self to  become  a  Christian  minister.  In  other  words  I  am 
going  to  compare  my  preparation  to  become  a  follower  of 
Jesus,  with  the  preparation  which  Jesus  himself  enjoyed. 

So  far  as  we  know  of  the  early  life  of  Jesus,  we  have 
every  reason  to  believe  that  until  he  was  thirty  years  of  age 
he  worked  as  a  common  laborer  among  the  common  people. 
That  he  exhibited  an  early  interest  in  the  theology  of  the 
times  seems  evident  from  his  experience  with  the  doctors  of 
divinity  when  he  was  twelve  years  of  age.  But  that  he  had 
any  other  education  than  was  the  lot  of  all  other  Jewish  boys, 
there  is  not  a  scrap  of  evidence.  He  could  read  the  old  Testa- 
ment as  they  used  it.  He  had  been  taught  at  home  and  in 
the  local  synagogues  the  interpretation  of  the  Scriptures  in 
vogue  in  those  days.  It  is  not  at  all  likely  that  he  had  any 
other  book  education.  That  his  education  could  compare 
favorably  with  what  is  now  known  as  a  common  school  educa- 
tion is  not  at  all  likely.  That  he  could  write  a  sermon  or 
deliver  a  sermon  extemporaneously,  acceptable  to  modern 
usages,  there  is  not  a  particle  of  evidence.  That  he  was  the 
author  of  the  so-called  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the  greatest  of 
all  sermons,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  But  to  call  these  wise 


A    COLLEGE-MADE    PREACHER.  23 

sayings  of  the  fifth,  sixth  and  seventh  of  Matthew — to  call 
these  a  sermon  in  any  modern  use  of  the  word  is  to  misname 
them  entirely.  Neither  in  form  nor  unity  do  they  in  the  least 
particular  resemble  what  is  now  known  as  a  sermon. 

But  there  were  a  great  many  things  that  Jesus  did  learn 
which  he  could  not  have  learned  at  any  college.  He  had 
learned  the  people — the  common  people.  He  had  learned 
them  in  the  only  way  possible  for  any  one  to  learn  them — by 
being  one  of  them  himself.  He  lived  an  humble  life,  an  out- 
door life,  a  self-supporting  life.  He  passed  his  boyhood  and 
early  manhood  facing  the  difficulties  and  solving  the"problems 
of  the  common  people.  He  knew  what  their  problems  were. 
He  knew  what  their  aspirations  were.'  He  knew  their  hearts, 
their  longings,  their  fears  and  their  superstitions.  This  was 
His  education,  his  only  education,  except  that  he  was  able  to 
read  and  quote  to  them  the  Scriptures,  which  they  had  been 
taught  to  believe  were  the  word  of  God. 

But  Jesus'  preparation  for  the  ministry  did  not  consist 
wholly  of  what  he  knew ;  it  consisted  largely  of  what  he  was. 
One  of  the  items  in  his  preparation  was  that  he  overcame 
himself,  before  entering  the  ministry.  In  the  story  of  his 
temptation  in  the  wilderness  we  find  him  assailed  by  an  evil 
spirit  with  the  lusts  of  the  flesh,  the  ambition  for  fame  and 
the  worship  of  worldly  ideals  and  aspirations.  He  was  tempted 
in  all  points  like  us.  But  he  overcame  them  all,  and  minis- 
tering angels  became  his  companions. 

Now,  when  I  compare  this  preparation  of  Jesus  for  the 
ministry  with  my  own  preparation  to  follow  in  his  footsteps,  I 
do  not  wonder  that  I  did  not  succeed.  What  was  my  prepara- 
tion? I  am  not  going  to  outline  it  to  you  because  I  believe  it 
to  be  remarkable  or  unusual,  but  rather  because  I  believe  it 
is  typical  of  the  preparation  usually  received  by  any  one  who 
sets  out  to  become  a  Christian  minister. 

In  the  first  place,  I  was  a  studious  boy,  which  kept  me 
apart,  in  a  great  measure,  from  the  other  boys.  At  school  and 


24  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

vacation  I  never  had  any  particular  enthusiasm  or  interest  in 
the  games  and  adventures  of  my  school  fellows.  My  father 
was  able  to  keep  me  in  school,  consequently  I  did  no  work  but 
to  keep  up  my  studies.  I  came  in  actual  contact  with  no  kind 
of  business.  My  experience  was  nearly  limited  to  the  routine 
of  a  student's  life.  Except  from  glimpses  now  and  then,  I 
knew  little  or  nothing  of  what  was  going  on  in  the  world 
around  me  at  the  time.  I  was  rapidly  acquiring  tastes  and  habits 
which  drifted  me  .farther  and  farther  away  from  the  common 
people.  What  few  grains  of  information  concerning  the 
masses  that  managed  to  sift  through  the  wall  of  exclusion 
built  around  me,  gave  me  the  impression  that  the  history  of 
today  was  dull,  vulgar  arid  unsatisfactory. 

After  finishing  high  school  I  entered  college,  which  still 
further  excluded  me  from  the  people.  Having  finished  college 
I  entered  a  theological  seminary,  where  I  was  supposed  to 
take  that  step  of  preparation  for  the  ministry  which  was  to  fit 
me  to  stand  up  before  the  people,  about  whom  I  knew  next  to 
nothing,  to  become  their  guide  and  their  shepherd. 

I  had  no  vocation  except  preaching.  I  knew  nothing 
about  farming,  nothing  about  mechanics,  nothing  about  the 
mercantile  business,  nothing  about  law  or  medicine,  and  yet,  I 
was  proposing  to  stand  up  before  these  classes  and  teach  them 
how  to  live. 

What  was  far  worse,  I  knew  nothing  of  the  people  to 
whom  I  was  particularly  sent  as  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ.  In 
spite  of  all  the  diversions  and  perversions  of  a  theological 
education,  I  had  retained  a  somewhat  dimmed  and  deformed 
notion  that  as  a  minister  of  Jesus  Christ  my  mission  was  chiefly 
to  the  poor,  the  outcast,  the  down-trodden,  and  the  depraved. 
There  still  lingered  in  my  memory  fragments  of  Scripture, 
"  When  I  was  hungry,  ye  fed  me ;  when  I  was  naked,  ye 
clothed  me;  when  I  was  in  prison,  ye  visited  me;  when  I  was 
sick,  ye  came  to  me ;  when  I  was  a  stranger,  ye  took  me  in." 
I  remembered  that  dramatic  scene  when  Jesus  stood  in  the 


A    COLLEGE-MADE    PREACHER.  25 

synagogue  at  Nazareth,  and  read  from  the  prophet  Isaiah  the 
proclamation  of  His  own  mission. 

When  he  read :  u  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  Me, 
because  He  annointed  Me  to  preach  the  good  tidings  to  the 
poor;  He  hath  sent  Me  to  proclaim  release  to  the  captives,  and 
recovering  of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are 
bruised,  to  proclaim  the  acceptable  year  of  the  Lord." 

To  be  sure,  I  had  a  very  hazy  conception  of  my  proclama- 
tion to  these  poor  people.  Exactly  what  I  could  do  or  say  that 
would  be  of  any  practical  benefit  to  them  was  one  of  the 
things  I  had  not  learned  in  college.  I  had  been  trained  in  a 
school  of  theology,  which  enabled  me  to  comprehend  the  utter 
futility  of  supposing  I  could  go  to  them  some  pleasant  evening, 
and  by  the  assistance  of  a  professional  evangelist  or  singer, 
convert  them  en  masse,  and  thus  discharge  my  whole  respon- 
sibility concerning  these  very  disagreeable  people.  I  had  been 
reared  on  a  broader  plane  of  thinking  than  that.  But  pre- 
cisely what  it  was  that  I  was  expected  to  do  to  put  myself  into 
vital  relation  with  the  men  and  women  who  swear  and  drink, 
who  are  dirty  and  lazy,  who  are  sick  and  vicious,  who  are  in 
prisons  and  hospitals,  who  are  naked  and  hungry,  become  a 
friend  to  the  stranger  and  a  companion  of  the  outcast,  how  I 
was  to  follow  my  Master  in  these  particulars,  I  had  received 
no  instruction  whatever. 

I  could  preach  a  good  sermon;  I  knew  that.  No  one 
could  find  a  flaw  in  my  grammar  or  rhetoric ;  my  manners  and 
dress  were  such  that  no  church  need  to  be  ashamed  of  me, 
either  in  the  pulpit  or  the  drawing  room.  My  whole  life  had 
been  spent  among  people  of  culture  and  refinement.  I  was 
an  easy  conversationalist,  a  good  Bible  student,  and  a  public 
speaker  of  perhaps  more  than  average  ability.  These  things  I 
had  learned.  But  in  what  way  they  fitted  me  to  follow  my 
Master  in  his  proclamation  of  glad  tidings  to  the  poor,  I  could 
not  understand.  I  thought  it  was  my  own  fault  and  thought 
perhaps  I  was  better  adapted  to  the  regular  pastorate  than 
evangelical  work.  I  concluded  that  it  was  more  a  matter  of 
temperament  and  taste  than  any  thing  else.  I  knew  there 
were  some  people  who  were  so  constituted  that  they  liked  to 
do  that  sort  of  thing.  I  knew  that  I  was  not  one  of  them. 


THE  FIRST  PASTORATE. 


Dr.  Talkwell's  Second  Lecture— Sketch  of  His  First  Pastorate. 


TOLD  you  last  week  of  my  preparation  for  the  minis- 
try ;  how  I  had  graduated  from  a  theological  semin 
ary  with  high  honors.  I  was  now  supposed  to  be 
prepared  to  follow  the  meek  and  lowly  Jesus  in  car- 
rying the  gospel  to  the  poor  and  heavy  laden.  I  had  acquired 
a  literary  fastidiousness  and  aristocratic  habits,  which  seemed 
to  be  assumed  by  every  one  to  be  just  the  thing  to  enable  me 
to  follow  in  the  footsteps  of  the  lowly  Nazarene,  to  do  the 
humble  work  of  my  Master,  the  carpenter's  son. 

Despite  my  education  I  was  not  altogether  free  from 
doubt  on  this  subject.  I  sometimes  thought  I  detected  an 
incongruity  between  my  mission  and  my  education.  When  I 
read  the  latest  theological  review  I  felt  sure  I  was  master  of 
the  situation,  but  when  I  read  the  Testament  I  was  not  quite 
sure  that  I  had  learned  anything  that  would  be  of  assistance 
to  me.  I  was  not  quite  clear  as  to  what  my  mission  was,  but 
I  had  a  vague  supposition  that  it  was  somehow  related  to  the 
fallen  and  perishing  ones  of  society. 

But  my  thinking  along  this  line  was  suddenly  interrupted 
by  the  event  of  receiving  a  call  to  become  the  pastor  of  a  large 
and  prosperous  church  in  one  of  our  cities.  I  had  no  more 
time  for  musing  about  my  mission.  I  had  two  sermons  to 
prepare  each  week  for  a  critical,  cultured  congregation,  pos- 
sessed of  literary  fastidiousness,  jealously  sensitive  as  to  their 
own  customs,  vain  of  their  services  and  elegant  place  of 
worship.  I  had  several  special  meetings  to  conduct  every 


THE    FIRST    PASTORATE.  27 

week.  I  became  practically  manager  and  leader  of  several 
societies.  Every  moment  of  time  that  could  be  spared  from 
my  pressing  duties  as  pastor  of  that  church  was  devoted  to 
social  functions,  just  as  imperatively  demanded  of  me  as  any 
other  part  of  my  work.  I  worked  very  hard,  but  personally 
I  had  no  time  to  see  any  poor  people,  or  to  even  give  them  a 
thought.  To  be  sure,  we  had  a  committee  of  our  church  whose 
duty  it  was  to  attend  to  such  matters.  Through  their  reports 
I  occasionally  heard  that  we  were  doing  something  in  that 
line. 

Sometimes  I  had  a  sickening  fear  that  I  was  not  doing  the 
work  of  a  real  Christian  minister,  but  what  to  do  I  did  not  know. 
I  understood  homiletics  better  than  I  did  homes,  and  was 
better  posted  on  the  latest  Bible  criticisms  than  I  was  con- 
cerning the  unsanitary  condition  of  the  alleys  where  the  poor 
people  lived.  I  made  many  resolves  and  had  several  ineffect- 
ual spasms  of  trying  to  do  something  in  this  line,  but  all 
ended  in  flat  failure. 

I  tried  to  talk  with  my  brethren  sometimes  about  these 
matters,  which  finally  resulted  in  our  establishing  a  mission 
chapel,  presided  over  by  an  assistant,  all  of  which  brought  me 
not  one  whit  nearer  the  poor  and  down-trodden.  I  finally 
gave  up  trying  to  get  any  nearer  to  them,  comforting  myself 
with  the  idea  that  the  avenues  needed  a  Christian  minister  as 
well  as  the  alleys,  and  that  I  was  specially  adapted  to  minis- 
ter to  the  avenues.  And  I  succeeded  in  making  myself  really 
believe  that  I  was  a  Christian  minister  all  this  time,  though 
sometimes  I  had  my  doubts. 

There  was  another  thing  in  the  preparation  of  Jesus  that 
I  lacked  besides  the  knowledge  enabling  me  to  carry  the 
gospel  to  the  poor.  I  had  not  conquered  myself.  In  my 
bodily  habits  I  was  not  conspicuously  bad,  as  I  used  neither 
liquor  nor  tobacco  and  loudly  condemned  their  use  by  others, 
but  in  my  use  of  food  I  did  not  hesitate  to  indulge  myself  in 
the  choicest  dainties  the  land  afforded,  and  surrounding  myself 


28  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

by  all  the  expensive  luxuries  that  my  ample  salary  permitted. 
I  lived  altogether  a  pampered,  luxurious  life. 

As  for  worldly  ambition,  perhaps  no  one  in  my  congrega- 
tion was  farther  from  Jesus  in  this  particular.  I  had  an  am- 
bition to  become  a  great  preacher,  to  make  my  pulpit  a  great 
power  in  the  land.  I  was  determined  that  I  would  be  known 
as  far  as  the  English  language  was  spoken.  This  was  my 
thought  day  and  night.  This  ambition  had  been  distinctly 
taught  to  me  at  college  as  being  entirely  legitimate  for  a 
Christian  minister.  I  wanted  to  live  to  see  the  day  when  my 
sermons  would  be  published  in  this  and  other  countries  and 
possibly  translated  into  other  tongues.  I  wanted  to  be  popular 
at  home  and  abroad.  I  dreaded  of  all  things  to  do  or  say  any- 
thing that  would  have  a  tendency  to  make  me  unpopular. 

I  preached  against  pride,  vanity,  luxury  and  selfishness. 
But  I  succeeded  in  doing  so  with  such  good  taste  and  elegant 
language  as  to  offend  no  one  of  my  supporters,  every  one  of 
whom  was  guilty  of  these  things. 

My  success  was  phenomenal.  I  rose  to  distinction  very 
rapidly.  My  services  were  in  demand  over  a  very  large  area  of 
the  country.  My  sermons  were  reported  in  many  papers.  Ver- 
ily, verily,  I  had  received  my  reward.  But  all  this  time  the 
sweet,  pastoral  life  of  Jesus,  his  lowly  companions,  his  heart 
to  heart  conversations,  his  frugal,  unselfish  life,  his  suffering 
with  poor,  ignorant,  weak  humanity  —  these  things  were 
slipping  farther  and  farther  away  from  me.  Except  in  my 
pulpit  I  had  come  to  read  mostly  the  latest  commentators, 
critical  reviews,  literary  criticisms  and  the  like ;  finding  the 
simple  gospel,  except  by  straining  its  meaning,  to  be  out  of 
harmony  with  the  life  I  was  leading.  Had  not  my  career 
been  interrupted  by  illness  I  should  without  doubt  have  con- 
tinued to  grow  less  Christ-like  and  more  prosperous,  until,  at 
the  close  of  a  long  and  useful  life,  I  should  have  been  buried 
with  the  usual  honors  and  eulogies  that  are  accorded  the  suc- 
cessful preacher  of  today.  (How  different  from  the  last  scenes 


THE    FIRST    PASTORATE.  29 

that  closed  round  the  earthly  labors  of  Jesus,  Paul,  Peter, 
Matthew,  and  a  host  of  others  in  every  land  and  age  who  have 
followed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  Master!) 

The  continued  strain  of  my  artificial  life  finally  induced 
severe  prostration.  I  was  not  only  obliged  to  retire  from  my 
pastorate,  but  from  the  city.  In  the  cool  shade  of  an  old 
orchard,  in  a  quiet,  obscure  country  place,  far  from  the  noise 
and  ambitions  of  the  city,  during  a  slow  convalescence,  I 
began  to  think.  It  was  the  first  time  I  had  ever  had  a 
chance  to  think  by  myself,  for  myself,  about  myself.  The  old 
sprawling,  shaggy  apple  trees  that  had  borne  their  load  of 
juicy  fruit  year  after  year  for  the  benefit  of  the  world  seemed 
to  rebuke  me  with  their  solemn,  unpretending  humility. 

I  had  time  to  look  squarely  at  my  past  life.  How  1  had 
been  tickled  with  fame,  pleased  with  notoriety,  puffed  up  with 
flattery,  made  glad  a  thousand  times  in  my  foolish  vanity  by 
complimentary  remarks  upon  my  eloquence,  learning  and 
influence. 

How  quiet  it  was  there,  how  solemn  !  A  little  Testament 
without  notes  seemed  no  longer  out  of  place.  I  began  to  read 
it,  not  a  verse  here  and  there,  not  critically,  but  as  a  child 
would  read  a  story  —  whole  books  at  a  time. 

I  read  the  book  of  Matthew  one  beautiful  Sunday  morn- 
ing in  the  generous  shade  of  one  of  those  old,  ministering 
apple  trees.  Beginning  with  the  fifth  chapter,  1  read  it  all 
through,  every  word  of  it.  It  seemed  to  me  that  morning  that 
I  had  never  read  the  book  before.  It  was  so  plainly  and 
clearly  a  refutation  of  the  life  I  had  been  living.  But  its 
rebukes  were  so  gentle,  so  loving,  so  forgiving,  that  I  cried 
with  joy  that  I  had  found  them  at  last. 

It  seemed  so  strange  to  me  that  I  had  never  applied  these 
gentle  rebukes  and  warnings  to  my  own  life.  When  Jesus 
t;  warned  his  disciples  against  the  Scribes  and  Pharisees  be- 
cause their  works  were  done  to  be  seen  of  men,"  and  love  the 
chief  place  of  feasts,  and  the  chief  seats  in  the  synagogues,  and 


OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY 


30  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

the  salutations  in  the  market  places,  and  to  be  called  of  men, 
Rabbi.  "But  be  not  ye  called  Rabbi,  for  one  is  your  teacher 
and  all  ye  are  brethren.  And  call  no  man  your  father  on 
earth,  for  one  is  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven.  Neither  be 
ye  called  masters,  for  one  is  your  Master,  even  the  Christ. 
But  he  that  is  greatest  among  you  shall  be  your  servant.  And 
whosoever  shall  exalt  himself,  shall  be  humbled,  and  whoso- 
ever shall  humble  himself  shall  be  exalted." 

Plainly  I  was  guilty  of  disobeying  every  item  of  this 
warning.  I  could  be  distinguished  from  the  ordinary  run  of 
men  by  my  garments.  I  did  have  the  chief  place  at  public 
banquets  or  feasts,  and  the  chief  seat  in  the  synagogues 
(churches),  and  should  have  thought  it  strange  had  I  not  been 
offered  these  places  whenever  I  honored  them  with  my  pres- 
ence. I  was  saluted  in  the  market  places,  not  with  the  title 
Rabbi,  to  be  sure,  but  by  the  title  Reverend,  which  means 
practically  the  same  thing.  I  not  only  was  called  by  these 
titles,  but  I  called  others  whom  I  considered  above  me  by 
titles,  signifying  Father  and  Master.  I  was  considered  among 
the  greatest  of  my  vocation,  but  by  no  torture  of  language 
could  I  be  called  a  servant.  I  had  exalted  myself  deliberately, 
persistently^  and  now  I  was  humbled,  humiliated  by  the  words 
of  the  same  book  that  I  had  read  a  thousand  times  before,  by 
the  words  of  the  same  book  of  which  I  had  been  so  long  con- 
sidered a  critical  student  and  learned  expositor. 

What  blindness  was  it  that  had  prevented  my  seeing  this 
before?  Having  eyes  I  had  not  seen;  ears  I  had  not  heard,  a 
cultivated  mind  and  yet  not  understood. 


THE  SECOND  PASTORATE. 


Dr.  Talkwell's  Third  Lecture— His  Second  Pastorate. 


HAD  intended  in  this  lecture  to  confine  my  remarks 
to  a  brief  sketch  of  my  second  pastorate,  but  I  find  so 
many  written  questions  on  my  desk  this  morning 
indicating  on  your  part  a  natural  curiosity  of  a  per- 
sonal nature,  that  I  will  speak  more  fully  of  personal  matters 
than  I  intended  to.  I  will  not  read  the  questions,  but  will  try 
to  summarize  the  principal  facts  covered  by  them. 

You  remember  my  last 'lecture  left  me  in  an  obscure 
country  place,  slowly  recuperating  from  an  extreme  prostra- 
tion brought  on  by  a  long,  successful  city  pastorate.  I  had 
begun  to  read  the  Testament  without  notes  out  there  in  the 
cool  quiet  of  a  beautiful  old  farm.  The  effect  upon  me  was 
marvelous.  It  completely  transformed  my  views  as  to  the 
mission  of  a  gospel  minister. 

I  was  then  thirty-seven  years  of  age,  unmarried,  without 
even  a  boyish  romance  to  vary  the  intensity  of  twenty  years' 
experience  as  student  and  preacher.  It  was  two  years  before 
I  recovered  my  health  sufficient  to  follow  any  vocation,  during 
which  time  I  remained  in  the  country. 

While  living  in  this  beautiful  place,  I  became  acquainted 
with  a  venerable  old  pastor  of  the  church  in  the  village  nearby. 
He  had  been  serving  the  church  for  over  thirty  years,  and  was 
beloved  by  all.  I  attended  his  services  quite  regularly  for 
nearly  a  year,  learning  by  observation  what  a  pastor  could 
really  be  to  his  people.  The  sermons  were  of  a  practical 


35}  KEV.    TAJLK  WEIL'S    SKETCHES. 

nature,  and  were  intended  for  that  particular  congregation. 
While  he  held  the  older  theological  notions,  he  so  seldom  re- 
ferred to  them  in  his  simple,  off-hand,  heart  to-heart  discourses, 
that  he  scarcely  ever  annoyed  me  by  them.  He  seemed  to 
have  naturally  outgrown  book  theology.  He  had  become  so 
closely  interlocked  in  the  lives  of  his  people  that  his  sermons 
seemed  more  like  fatherly  advice  and  counsel  than  specimens 
of  pulpit  oratory.  Many  a  mother  had  presented  her  child  to 
this  venerable  old  pastor  for  christening,  who  had  herself  been 
christened  by  him,  at  the  same  altar,  years  before.  To  him 
were  confided  troubles,  fears,  plans  and  ambitions  of  the 
plain,  wholesome  people  who  were  his  congregation.  His 
home  was  the  temporary  rendezvous  of  many  a  hunted,  stranded 
soul.  This  spirit  of  sympathy  and  charity  had  so  pervaded  his 
church  that  the  petty  jealousies  and  rivalries  of  the  other 
churches  of  the  village  found  little  foothold  among  his  people. 

I  had  preached  in  this  church  several  years  before  at  a 
conference  which  was  held  in  the  village.  It  was  in  the  midst 
of  the  glory  of  my  former  pastorate.  The  people  of  the  village 
had  flocked  out  to  hear  the  talented  young  preacher  from  the 
city.  I  little  thought  then  that  the  gentle,  old  pastor  who 
introduced  me  to  his  congregation  that  morning  was  so  soon 
to  become  my  teacher.  I  became  slightly  acquainted  with 
his  family,  one  member  of  which  I  had  not  forgotten.  His 
youngest  daughter,  reared  as  she  had  been  in  the  sunshine  of 
this  practical  Christian  home,  although  I  had  slight  opportu- 
nity to  become  acquainted  with  her,  touched  my  heart  as  no 
other  woman  had.  The  vision  of  her  simple  loveliness,  the 
memory  of  her  helpful  accomplishments,  had  been  with  me 
ever  since.  Perhaps  it  was  this  that  brought  me  to  this  old 
village  again,  to  seek  rest  and  recuperation. 

It  had  been  several  years  since  I  had  seen  her,  during 
which  time  my  relations  to  society  had  presented  numerous 
opportunities  to  have  selected  a  wife  of  social  standing  and 
wealth.  Yet,  somehow  or  other  I  had  not  done  so;  perhaps 


THE    SECOND    PASTORATE.  33 

because  of  a  vague  memory — perhaps  not ;  I  am  not  sure.  At 
any  rate  I  was  very  glad  to  find  that  she  was  still  unmarried  and 
an  enthusiastic  assistant  to  her  father  in  his  many  and  varied 
pastoral  duties.  Our  acquaintance  soon  ripened  into  warm 
friendship,  which  finally  resulted  in  that  deepest  and  holiest 
of  all  feelings  —  love.  We  were  married  in  the  fall,  two  years 
after  my  illness ;  and  the  following  spring  her  father,  who  had 
become  to  me  more  than  a  father,  died.  The  people  all 
mourned  the  loss  of  their  dear  old  pastor,  friend  and  counselor. 

One  year  from  the  date  of  my  father-in-law's  death,  I 
became  the  pastor  of  the  church  he  had  served  so  many  years. 
Even  with  the  aid  of  my  wife,  who  had  been  brought  up  in 
his  work,  I  found  myself  in  a  more  difficult  place  to  fill  than  I 
did  in  my  city  pastorate. 

In  the  first  place  my  new  resolution  to  bear  the  gospel  to 
the  poor  and  outcast  found  little  scope  in  this  rural  pastorate, 
as  there  were  very  few  of  tfrat  class  of  people.  Such  few 
cases  as  I  managed  to  find  were  hopelessly  estranged  from  my 
people  by  old  prejudices  and  ancient  family  feuds.  There 
were  in  all  five  churches  in  the  little  town  of  1,500  people  in 
which  my  church  was  located.  After  a  thorough  investigation 
I  found  that  less  than  500  actually  attended  any  church.  I 
began  visiting  among  the  churchless  ones,  seeking  to  interest 
them  in  religious  matters.  But  my  activities  were  misunder- 
stood by  the  other  churches,  as  well  as  the  people,  and  I  was 
soon  regarded  as  a  proselyter,  desiring  to  build  up  my  church 
denomination.  Everything  was  quiet  before  I  came.  Each 
church  had  sett-led  down  to  their  definite  boundaries.  There 
was  peace,  but  it  was  the  peace  of  death  (as  I  thought  then). 

By  the  pastors  of  the  other  churches,  I  began  to  be 
regarded  as  a  dangerous  competitor,  as  my  visits  among  the 
people  began  to  bring  into  my  congregation  new  faces.  My 
colleagues,  noticing  my  success  in  this  line,  began  to  visit 
also,  which  soon  developed  a  spirit  of  rivalry  among  the 
churches,  although  I  made  every  effort  possible  to  avoid  such 


34  REV.    TALKWEIX'S     SKETCHES. 

feeling.  My  evangelical  efforts  were  regarded  with  some 
misgivings  and  embarrassment  by  my  own  members.  They 
had  come  to  love  the  peace  of  the  old  days,  and  the  disturbing 
influence  of  my  zeal  to  spread  the  gospel  was  disquieting  to 
them. 

They  were  much  better  acquainted  with  the  newcomers 
in  my  congregation  than  I  was,  and  I  discovered  a  lack  of  enthu- 
siasm, if  not  a  decided  indifference  toward  my  missionary 
efforts.  I  noticed,  with  sinking  spirits,  that  my  intense  desire 
to  push  my  church  out  into  new  fields  of  activity  was  not  only 
disturbing  the  peace  of  my  own  church,  but  it  was  kindling 
the  spirit  of  jealousy  and  strife,  which  already  existed  to  some 
degree  among  the  churches.  Where  I  had  sought  to  bring  the 
gospel  of  peace,  I  had  succeeded  only  in  stirring  up  denomina- 
tional zeal  and  competition. 

I  knew  many  of  my  flock  longed  for  the  quiet  of  the  old 
days,  when  each  church  was  more  or  less  content  with  its  own 
little  circle  of  followers,  leaving  the  rest  of  the  world  to  come 
and  go  as  it  pleased.  All  this  was  new  to  me,  and  the  shame 
and  anguish  it  caused  me  was  quite  overwhelming.  What  was 
I  to  do  ?  I  knew  that  my  mission  was  to  carry  the  gospel  to 
the  world,  and  not  simply  to  the  few  believers  who  constituted 
my  church.  But  when  I  undertook  to  carry  the  gospel  to  the 
world,  I  found  that  I  was  bringing  a  sword  and  not  peace. 

Petty  denominational  differences  were  revived  that  had 
long  been  buried  in  the  quiet  days  that  preceded  my  pastor- 
ate. Why  could  I  not  be  content  to  preach  and  visit,  to 
marry  and  christen,  to  bury  and  console,  among  the  little 
flock  left  me  by  my  quiet,  genial  predecessor,  whom  every bod}r 
seemed  to  love. 

My  new  idea  of  the  function  of  a  gospel  minister  had  led 
me  to  study  social  problems.  I  thought  if  I  was  to  carry  the 
good  tidings  to  the  poor  and  outcast  I  must  seek  to  relieve  the 
conditions  that  made  them  poor  and  outcast.  I  began  to 
introduce  such  subbjects  in  my  pulpit,  but  I  soon  discovered 


THE     SECOND    PASTORATE.  35 

that  my  people  were  not  interested  in  sociology.  Prison 
reform,  the  tramp  problem,  better  citizenship,  purity  of  poli- 
tics, and  the  like,  did  not  seem  to  them  to  have  any  connection 
with  the  gospel.  In  my  city  pastorate  I  had  the  reputation  of 
being  a  great  preacher,  but  none  of  the  sermons  that  had  made 
me  great  there  was  of  the  slightest  interest  here.  In  the  city, 
surrounded  by  stirring  scenes  of  local  interest,  assisted  by  fine 
music  and  elegant  accessories  of  every  sort,  my  eloquence  and 
beautiful  diction  seemed  fitting  and  met  the  applause  of  the 
multitude  (although  I  doubt  not  that  many  a  poor,  lonely, 
bereaved,  starving  soul  found  little  or  no  help  by  my 
eloquence). 

But  here  it  was  different.  There  were  no  stirring  local 
events.  The  people  were  intelligent,  but  practical.  Their 
lives  were  simple  and  frugal.  The  sermon  constituted  all 
there  was  of  a  church  service.  If  it  referred  to  matters  that 
touched  their  lives,  they  were  interested.  If  not,  they  were 
not  interested.  No  artifice  or  oratory  or  jugglery  of  words  or 
gilded  diction  was  of  any  account  to  them. 

On  funeral  occasions  I  was  a  sore  disappointment  to  them. 
With  my  dear  old  predecessor  a  funeral  was  made  a  great 
occasion.  He  was  sure  to  have  a  crowded  house,  to  which  all 
denominations  contributed.  In  his  simple,  clear  faith  he  rose 
to  an  eloquence  that  moved  all  the  people.  He  believed  in 
heaven;  an  orthodox  heaven.  He  believed  in  hell ;  an  ortho- 
dox hell.  He  believed  in  the  endless  quiet  of  the  one,  and  the 
never-ending  disquiet  of  the  other.  He  never  bothered  with 
questions  about  conditional  immortality,  continued  probation, 
final  salvation  or  an  intermediate  state.  Death  to  him  was 
final,  but  in  his  broad  charity  and  magnificent  toleration  he 
found  a  comfortable  hope  in  almost  every  case. 

But  with  me  the  case  was  different.  I  was  not  at  all  clear 
on  questions  of  future  life.  I  believed  in  immortality  in  a 
general  way,  but  it  was  a  subject  about  which  I  disliked  to 
make  any  definite  statements.  I  had  held  almost  every  shade 


36  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

of  opinion  on  these  subjects  without  finding  myself  contented 
with  any,  and  had  settled  down  into  a  sort  of  semi-agnos- 
ticism on  such  matters  which  my  city  pastorate  did  not 
especially  disturb.  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  reading  a  few 
passages  of  Scripture,  making  a  brief  prayer,  relating  chiefly 
to  the  bereaved,  sometimes  adding  a  few  vague  remarks 
touching  immortality.  But  I  had  no  settled,  clear  convictions 
on  these  subjects. 

I  knew  nothing  about  heaven  or  hell,  the  whereabouts  of 
departed  spirits,  the  resurrection  of  the  body,  and  could  speak 
on  these  subjects  only  by  using  figures  of  speech  to  which 
almost  any  meaning  could  be  attached.  This  did  not  satisfy 
these  people.  They  wanted  something  more  definite.  Their 
small,  well  kept  cemetery  marked  the  last  resting  place  o-f 
many  a  beloved  one.  They  expected  of  me,  and  had  a  right  to 
expect  something  besides  surmises,  doubts  and  vague  platitudes. 
But  for  the  assistance  of  my  sweet-spirited  wife  i  should  have 
sunk  under  the  burden  of  these  trials.  I  knew  my  people 
were  nearer  right  than  I  was,  but  I  could  not  adjust  my  think- 
ing to  their  expectations  of  me.  I  was  learning  to  love  them 
more  and  more  every  day,  and  yet  my  weakness  to  serve  them 
was  growing  more  striking  and  apparent  to  me. 

Most  of  my  people  were  born  and  reared  within  the 
limits  of  the  village.  To  them  their  little  town  with  its  insti- 
tutions was  the  world.  To  me  it  seemed  narrow  and  petty, 
although  I  recognized  its  charms  and  virtues.  They  were 
proud  to  have  so  noted  a  preacher  as  a  pastor  of  their  church, 
and  yet  were  secretly  disappointed  by  his  ministrations.  With 
my  new  gospel  I  had  not  yet  become  to  be  content  with  little 
things.  I  wanted  to  operate  on  a  larger  scale.  I  wanted  to 
set  the  town  on  fire  with  evangelical  zeal,  and  it  had  never 
occurred  to  me  as  yet  that  any  such  thing  could  be  done  or 
ought  to  be  done,  except  through  the  agency  of  a  regularly 
organized  church. 


A  COUNTRY  PREACHER  RESIGNS. 


Dr.  Talkwell's  Fourth  Lecture— He  Resigns  His  Country  Pastorate. 


'N  THE  lectures  that  have  preceded  this  one,  and  this 
one  also,  I  have  ventured  to  dwell  chiefly  on  my  own 
biography  in  order  to  put  before  you  the  conditions 
which  brought  me  to  become  your  pastor.  I  had  been 
educated  for  the  ministry  in  the  usual  way.  I  had  been  the 
successful  pastor  of  a  city  church,  which  my  health  compelled 
me  to  resign.  While  recuperating  from  the  illness,  I  began  to 
read  the  New  Testament  without  notes,  which  greatly  changed 
my  views  of  the  function  of  a  Christian  minister.  1  accepted  a 
call  to  a  country  church.  As  pastor  of  a  country  church  1  found 
myself  much  nearer  able  to  be  what  I  conceived  a  Christian 
minister  ought  to  be  than  I  had  in  my  previous  city  pastorate. 
But  I  found  the  place  of  a  country  pastor  much  harder  to  fill. 
The  artifices  and  speculations,  refinements  and  literary  culture 
of  my  ministerial  preparation  were  of  little  or  no  service  to  me 
in  my  country  pastorate.  My  preparation  for  the  ministry  had 
not  furnished  me  with  the  things  that  interested  them.  Their 
interests  were  entirely  local.  I  found  myself  hampered  by  the 
narrow  scope  of  the  subjects  that  seemed  appropriate  to  my 
pulpit.  While  the  average  intelligence  was  greater  than  in 
the  city,  their  vital  interests  were  limited  to  their  own  quiet, 
pastoral  life. 

I  had  become  greatly  interested  in  social  subjects.  I  had 
learned  to  love  the  people  in  my  country  parish  more  and 
more  each  year,  but  my  longings  for  a  larger  field  of  activity 


38  REV.    TALKWELI/S    SKETCHES. 

gradually  grew  upon  me.  I  wanted  to  come  into  intimate 
relations  with  the  classes  about  which  I  had  read  so  much.  In 
my  former  city  pastorate  I  had  learned  next  to  nothing  of  any 
class  except  the  cultured,  aristocratic,  prosperous  people.  In 
my  country  pastorate  the  people  were  almost  entirely  frugal, 
industrious  and  virtuous.  I  felt  that  my  call  as  a  Christian 
minister  should  bring  me  more  in  contact  with  the  wandering 
sheep.  The  city  only  could  furnish  me  the  field  for  my  labor. 
I  was  thoroughly  rested  now  and  wished  once  more  to  take  up 
a  city  pastorate.  I  felt  pure  that  I  could  establish  an  institu- 
tional church  which  would  enable  me  to  follow  in  my  Master's 
footsteps  in  ministering  to  the  poor,  the  wretched  and  depraved. 
I  had  not  as  yet  been  able  to  lead  a  church  into  this  sort  of 
work,  but  I  had  no  doubt  but  that  I  should  be  able  to  do  so, 
if  I  found  the  right  sort  of  a  church. 

It  had  not  yet  occurred  to  me  that  the  work  of  the  Master 
and  the  work  of  the  pastor  were  necessarily  incompatible. 
Even  in  my  country  pastorate  I  found  it  impossible  to  extend 
the  influence  of  my  church  to  the  ones  who  needed  it  most. 
And  the  chief  obstacle  which  I  encountered  was  the  church 
itself.  The  many  careless  ones  and  the  few  depraved  and 
vicious  ones  within  the  bounds  of  my  parish  were  so  well 
known  to  my  people  that  they  had  no  interest  or  confidence  in 
any  attempt  to  reclaim  them.  Thus  I  was  obliged  to  settle 
down  to  the  quiet  and  beautiful  life  of  my  venerable  prede- 
cessor, yet  I  was  discontented  with  it.  I  was  sure  that  I  was 
not  leading  the  life  of  a  Christian  minister.  Once  more  the 
church  stood  in  my  way.  I  could  see  no  parallel  between  the 
life  I  was  living  and  the  life  outlined  by  Jesus  when  he  sent 
his  disciples  into 'the  world. 

It  was  at  this  point  in  my  career  that  your  call  for  me  to 
serve  your  church  came.  I  accepted  eagerly.  I  believed  it  a 
providential  opportunity  to  preach  the  new  doctrines  of  Chris- 
tian ministry  which  I  had  come  to  adopt.  I  believed  I  could 
lead  your  church  into  paths  of  real  Christian  ministry. 


A    COUNTRY    PREACHER    RESIGNS.  39 

When  John  the  Baptist  demanded  of  Jesus  evidence  that 
he  was  the  Messiah  the  only  reply  he  received  was  that  the 
blind  see,  the  lame  walk,  and  the  poor  have  the  Gospel 
preached  to  them.  I  was  determined  to  keep  this  thought 
before  me.  My  work  should  be  through  the  church  to  preach 
the  Gospel  to  the  poor.  It  seemed  to  me,  then,  that  I  needed 
just  such  an  organization  to  assist  me  in  carrying  the  Gospel 
to  the  poor.  It  had  not  occurred  to  me  that  my  Master  had  no 
such  organization ;  that  while  he  was  sometimes  found  in  the 
synagogues  and  temples,  yet  it  was  not  on  these  he  relied  for 
assistance.  Indeed  it  was  these  institutions  that  constituted 
his  chief  opposition. 

It  was  not  by  the  aid  of  the  church  of  his  day  that  Jesus 
carried  the  Gospel  to  the  poor,  but  he  did  so  in  spite  of  the 
church.  I  still  clung  to  the  idea  that  Christian  ministry  could 
only  be  hoped  for  through  the  church. 

I  need  not  recite  to  you  what  has  happened  while  I  was 
your  pastor.  How  you  have  listened  to  my  sermons  on  the 
new  gospel  ministry  and  showed  your  appreciation  by  raising 
my  salary  and  presenting  me  with  an  elegant  parsonage  on  a 
fashionable  street.  How  we  have  sometimes  succeeded  in  per- 
suading some  of  the  outcasts  to  come  into  our  elegant  church, 
but  to  stay  only  a  few  weeks.  How  we  have  cautiously 
assisted  discharged  criminals,  hesitatingly  thrown  out  the  life- 
line to  the  harlot  with  little  or  no  result  except  to  increase  the 
widespread  belief  that  they  are  beyond  hope.  We  have  tried 
vainly  to  bring  to  us  the  ones  we  should  have  gone  to.  I 
should  have  gone  to  these  people,  not  to  invite  them  some- 
where, but  to  stay  with  them.  It  was  un-Christlike  and 
impertinent  for  us  to  try  to  force  our  habits,  our  manners  and 
our  ways  of  thinking  upon  these  people.  To  import  them 
into  our  society  and  then  feel  disappointed  because  they  did 
not  like  to  stay,  shows  how  little  we  understood  the  work  and 
the  people.  After  we  had  made  such  proselytes,  we  made 
them  twofold  more  the  children  of  hell  than  we  were.  In  our 


40  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

home  life  and  in  our  church  life  we  were  thoroughly  incapaci- 
tated to  reach  the  poor  because  of  the  barriers  of  wealth  and 
culture.  To  invite  them  into  our  homes  was  only  to  fill  them 
with  envy  or  tempt  them  to  steal.  To  inveigle  them  into  our 
church  was  simply  to  awe  them  into  stupid  embarrassment  or 
make  them  mad  at  what  seemed  to  them  sinful  extravagance. 

I  do  not  blame  any  of  you  for  these  things.  You  have 
done  your  very  best  to  follow  where  I  have  led.  We  have 
simply  attempted  an  impossible  thing.  I  have  been  trying  to 
get  you  to  do  the  work  that  I  set  out  to  do.  My  Master  did 
not  try  to  get  people  to  go  into  the  synagogues  or  temples. 
That  was  not  his  work.  Neither  the  synagogues  nor  the 
temples  nor  any  other  institution  of  civilization  could  minister 
to  the  peculiar  needs  of  a  certain  class  of  downtrodden  ones. 
He  went  to  them,  ministering  to  their  needs,  stayed  with  them, 
became  one  of  them,  suffered  with  them,  rejoiced  with  them, 
lived  with  them.  Because  he  did  this  his  name  has  become 
a  power  and  an  inspiration  in  the  world  ever  since. 

He  called  his  followers  to  do  the  same  work  he  did.  I 
professed  to  be  one  of  his  chosen  followers,  but  I  did  not  fol- 
low in  this  work.  My  mistake  was  in  supposing  that  I  could 
follow  him  in  the  peculiar  work  he  assigned  his  followers 
while  I  remained  the  pastor  of  my  church.  While  that  insti- 
tution we  call  the  church  is  doing  a  great  work,  and  a  necessary 
work  in  the  evolution  of  human  society,  yet  I  insist  that  it  is 
not  doing  the  work  which  Jesus  expected  his  ministers  to  do. 
He  told  his  ministers  to  go  to  the  lost  sheep  of  the  house  of 
Israel.  "  To  provide  neither  gold  nor  silver  nor  brass  in  their 
purses,  nor  script  for  their  journey,  neither  two  coats,  neither 
shoes,  nor  yet  staves." 

At  the  same  time  Jesus  said  these  things  the  synagogues 
and  the  temples  were  in  operation,  but  had  failed  to  minister 
to  the  whole  people,  just  as  the  church  of  today  fails  to  min- 
ister to  a  certain  class  of  people.  It  was  to  this  churchless 
class  that  he  sent  his  disciples,  and  it  is  to  this  class  that  he 


A    COUNTRY    PREACHER    RESIGNS.  41 

calls  them  today.  Instead  of  going  to  the  churchless  I  went 
to  the  churches.  I  provided  myself  with  purse  and  script  and 
gold  and  silver  and  brass,  and  two  coats,  and  shoes,  and  every- 
thing else  that  any  luxury-loving  man  could  desire. 

In  the  ten  years  that  I  have  served  you  as  pastor,  I  have 
make  a  frantic  but  futile  attempt  to  compromise  and  com- 
mingle these  two  courses  of  living.  I  have  tried  to  be  a 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  the  pastor  of  a  modern  church 
at  the  same  time.  I  have  tried  to  drag  the  church  out  of  its 
legitimate  function  into  a  field  of  activity  that  it  can  never  be 
made  to  serve.  The  church  is  an  educational  institution,  it 
is  this  and  nothing  more.  It  is  only  incidentally  and  accident- 
ally doing  any  of  the  work  that  Jesus  desired  his  followers  to 
do.  It  is  doing  a  good  work,  a  work  that  at  present,  at  least, 
can  not  be  performed  by  any  other  institution  or  society. 

The  ones  to  whom  Jesus  sent  his  disciples  live  and  die, 
go  and  come,  in  this  city,  absolutely  untouched  by  the  churches. 
The  church  can  not  go  to  them  ;'  could  not  serve  them  if  it  did 
go.  I  do  not  blame  the  church  for  these  things,  for  it  was 
neither  called  nor  instituted  by  Jesus,  nor  did  he  expect  it 
to  do  his  work.  I  blame  only  myself,  who  profess  to  be  a 
special  minister  of  Jesus,  called  to  do  his  special  work  among 
that  special  class  to  which  he  was  sent. 

In  this  series  of  lectures  I  have  tried  to  lay  before  you 
more  fully  my  reasons  for  resigning  as  your  pastor.  I  am  not 
a  Christian  minister,  never  have  been,  and  quite  likely  never 
will  be.  I  feel  sure  that  my  past  life  has  utterly  incapacitated 
me  for  any  such  work.  Your  society  has  kindly  invited  me  to 
give  these  lectures,  and  I  appreciate  the  opportunity  to 
explain  myself. 

I  have  a  proposition  to  make  to  this  society — a  business 
proposition,  simply.  If  you  will  accept  it  on  the  terms  men- 
tioned in  my  letter  to  you,  you  may  consider  it  a  bargain.  An 
honest  bargain,  I  hope,  but  the  same  kind  of  a  bargain  as  any 
other  commercial  transaction. 


42  REV.    TALK  WELL'S    SKETCHES. 

I  will  agree  to  go  in  the  byways  and  neglected  places  of 
this  city  each  week,  learn  what  I  can  from  these  people,  and 
come  to  this  place  every  Sunday,  morning  and  tell  you  what  I 
have  seen  and  heard  during  the  week.  You  may  call  my 
reports  what  you  please ;  sermons,  lectures,  or  what  not,  but  I 
beg  of  you  not  to  call  me  a  Christian  minister.  I  will  try  in 
these  visits  through  the  city  to  ascertain  for  you  what  a  Chris- 
tian minister  might  do  if  he  would.  I  believe  that  there  is  a 
great  work  that  could  be  done.  I  am  willing  to  confess  to 
you  that  at  present  I  have  neither  the  courage  nor  faith  to 
enter  this  work  wholly  myself,  but  I  can  at  least  ascertain 
what  the  work  is,  and  outline  for  you  the  practical  details.  I 
shall  not  blame  any  one  for  hesitating  or  refusing  to  do  this 
work,  for  this  is  exactly  what  I  have  done  myself.  If  you 
conclude  to  employ  me  to  do  this  work  for  you,  I  will  be  here 
next  Sunday  morning  with  my  first  week's  experience  among 
that  class  of  people,  who,  although  no  worse  in  the  sight  of 
God  than  any  other  people,  yet  are  crushed  down  and  degraded 
by  the  inevitable  and  unavoidable  evolution  of  human  society. 


YE  VISITED  ME  NOT. 


How  We  Preachers  Minister  to  Those  in  Prison. 


WAS  just  about  to  say  when  I  was  interrupted  this 
morning,  that  instead  of  visiting  some  one  of  the 
by  ways  of  this  city  during  the  past  week  and  report- 
ing to  you  what  I  had  seen,  I  was  unexpectedly  called 
to  a  neighboring  city  in  this  state.  My  call  brought  me  into 
contact  with  the  workhouse  located  there.  Like  other  work- 
houses, the  prisoners  are  those  who  have  committed  petty 
offenses  which  are  not  considered  of  sufficient  gravity  for  the 
penitentiary.  They  are  an  ignorant,  diseased,  underwitted, 
unskilled,  shiftless  class  addicted  to  the  use  of  one  or  more 
narcotics,  generally  brought  up  in  vices  of  all  sorts,  depraved 
by  their  parents,  outraged  by  society,  degraded  by  the  powers 
that  should  be  their  defenders.  These  men  and  women  are 
huddled  together  in  care  of  those  who  have  no  other  thought 
than  to  get  as  much  out  of  them  as  possible  with  as  little 
expense. 

These  people  are  the  natural  and  legitimate  product  of 
the  same  society  that  is  avenging  itself  upon  them.  I  am  not 
complaining  of  these  things,  however,  I  am  only  putting  them 
before  you.  They  are,  perhaps,  unavoidable,  under  the  cir- 
cumstances. Well,  here  they  are,  huddled  together,  helpless, 
hopeless  and  despondent,  a  hundred  or  more  of  them.  Their 
keeper  is  a  politician.  He  got  his  place  as  a  political  spoil. 
He  knows  nothing  or  cares  nothing  about  humanity, 
ethics  or  religion.  He  refuses  them  reading  matter,  because, 


44  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

as  he  says,  they  are  there  to  be  punished,  and  he  conceives  it 
his  duty  to  make  them  as  miserable  as  he  can.  The  lives  of 
these  people  are  absolutely  within  the  keeping  of  this  man 
and  his  assistants.  If  ever  men  and  women  needed  or 
deserved  intelligent  and  prayerful  assistance,  these  poor  crea- 
tures do. 

a  I  was  in  prison  and  ye  visited  me,r  is  doubtless  read 
from  every  pulpit  in  that  city  Sunday  after  Sunday,  and  they 
who  read  this  saying  of  Jesus  are  called  ministers  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Where  are  they  and  what  are  they  doing  about  these 
poor  people?  They  are  attending  to  the  finances  of  their  sev- 
eral churches.  They  are  visiting  among  happy  and  prosperous 
parishioners.  They  are  attending  socials,  church  fairs,  after- 
noon teas,  and  what  not.  They  are  giving  lectures,  preaching 
sermons,  reading  essays,  in  short,  they  are  performing  their 
legitimate  function  in  society  A  good  work,  but  not  this  kind 
of  work.  They  know  nothing  nor  care  nothing  for  these  poor 
creatures,  who,  softened  by  adversity,  quickened  by  despair, 
would  grasp  eagerly  any  hand  stretched  out  to  save  them.  A 
splendid  opportunity  for  the  ministry.  But  do  they  do  it, 
these  people  who  are  called  ministers  of  Jesus  Christ?  No, 
they  do  not. 

A  miserable  make-shift  of  a  Sunday  service  is  held  once 
a  week  for  these  people  by  a  layman  and  his  wife,  whose  the- 
ology is  of  that  bygone  type  which  the  least  a  person  hears  of 
it  the  better  he  is  off.  The  superintendent  is  not  at  all  in 
sympathy  with  these  services,  and  the  friction  between  him 
and  the  people  who  hold  the  services  is  well  known  to  the 
prisoners. 

The  females  do  not  attend  the  services  at  all,  but  pur- 
posely disturb  them  by  tramping  and  shuffling  in  the  rooms 
directly  above.  This  is  a  fine  redress  that  society  is  making 
these  outraged  children.  Why  are  there  no  harvesters  in  this 
field,  ripe  and  waiting  for  reapers?  Why  is  it  that  the  elo- 
quence, the  learning,  the  training  is  used  in  that  city  every 


YE    VISITED    ME    NOT.  $ 

Sunday  on  audiences  that  have  no  need,  no  sorrow,  except  the 
need  and  sorrow  of  over-indulgence  and  ennui  ?  Why  is  there 
not  one  from  among  the  number  of  those  who  call  themselves 
Christian  ministers  in  that  city  —  why  is  there  not  one  who 
will  go  to  those  people,  become  their  consoler,  and,  if  need  be, 
their  defender?  Why  is  it  they  will  continue  to  minister  to 
those  who  come  to  hear  them  out  of  a  sense  of  duty  or  force 
of  habit,  or  because  it  is  the  proper  thing  to  do,  rather  than 
that  they  have  any  need  or  interest  in  their  ministry  ?  Why 
do  they  not  go  to  those  that  need  them — to  those  who  are  in 
sorrow,  to  those  who  are  poor,  to  those  who  are  oppressed,  to 
those  who  are  in  prison  ?  I  will  tell  you  why. 

Because  this  is  not  their  work.  They  have  no  time. 
They  are  already  overworked.  They  know  nothing  of  these 
people  arid  could  render  them  no  practical  service.  They 
know  nothing  of  hunger,  poverty ;  nothing  of  the  despair  of 
the  down  trodden,  nothing  of  the  paralyzing  anguish  of  hav- 
ing no  friends.  Some  people  blame  them  for  not  doing  this 
work.  I  do  not.  1  know  by  bitter  experience  that  they  have 
no  preparation  for  it.  It  is  the  work  of  a  Christian  minister ; 
a  follower  of  Jesus.  One  who  is  willing  to  work  for  no  salary. 
To  become  of  no  reputation.  To  be  counted  among  publicans 
and  sinners.  Willing  to  have  men  separate  themselves  from 
his  company  as  from  an  evil  thing ;  willing  to  be  called  a 
friend  of  harlots,  a  wine  bibber,  or  anything  else  that  the 
Pharisees  of  all  ages  call  those  who  do  the  real  work  of  Jesus 
Christ. 

There  is  one  caution  I  wish  to  drop  here,  however,  before 
closing,  which  seems  to  have  been  overlooked  by  the  church 
entirely.  It  is  the  assumption  that  the  poor,  the  depraved, 
the  prisoners,  and  such  like,  are  so  easily  ministered  to  that 
almost  anyone  will  do.  If  a  boy  becomes  enthusiastic  on 
religion,  no  matter  how  ignorant  he  may  be,  or  how  abnormal 
his  previous  life  may  have  been,  if  he  only  has  the  gift  of  gab 
and  self-confidence,  he  is  thought  to  be  just  the  fellow  for 


46  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

mission  work.  If  he  has  been  a  bummer,  a  prize-fighter,  a 
drunkard,  or  a  horse  thief,  so  much  the  better ;  he  will  attract 
a  bigger  audience.  To  stand  such  a  man  up  to  recite  his 
adventures  in  a  mission  or  prison  is  supposed  to  be  just  the 
thing  that  will  save  that  kind  of  people.  Theology,  no  matter 
how  rotten,  how  irrational  it  may  be,  is  all  right  if  it  is  only 
Dut  strong  enough.  To  make  them  smell  sulphur  and  see 
Satan,  as  John  Calvin  did,  is  thought  to  be  just  the  medicine 
that  the  low  and  vicious  ones  need. 

Let  me  tell  you  that  I  think  this  a  great  mistake.  If  any 
audience  needs  rational  theology  it  is  these  audiences.  Sub- 
terfuges will  meet  with  far  better  reception  with  the  average 
church  audience  than  with  such  people.  All  the  wisdom,  and 
sagacity,  and  prudence,  and  eloquence,  and  logic,  and  common 
sense,  of  which  any  man  is  capable,  is  needed  to  properly 
handle  the  audience  that  commonly  gathers  at  the  missions,  or 
is  found  in  the  prison.  If  foolish  theology  must  be  preached, 
let  it  be  somewhere  else  than  these  places.  Let  it  be  served  up 
in  beautiful  diction  and  rythmical  cadence  to  aristocratic  audi- 
ences who  care  for  such  things,  but  in  the  mission  and  prison 
there  is  actual  human  need,  human  distress ;  platitudes  won't 
do  here,  heart  must  address  heart,  experience  must  touch 
experience,  feeling  must  engender  feeling,  hope  must  kindle 
hope,  no  shams  can  be  mode  to  work  here.  I  wish  I  could 
emphasize  this  caution. 


A  REFORMED  PARSONAGE. 


Dr.  TalkwelPs  New   Parsonage  —  "  I  was  a  Stranger  and  Ye  Took 

Me  In." 


Y  DEAR,"  said  Mrs.  Talkwell  to  her  husband  at 
breakfast  the  next  morning  after  the  doctor's  first 
report,  u  now  that  you  are  free  from  the  foolish 
burdens  and  unnatural  vexations  of  a  city  pastor- 
ate, why  can't  we  carry  out  the  plan  we  wished  to  when  we 
first  came  to  this  city?  You  know  we  intended  to  rent  that 
large  brick  house  on  North  Third  street  and  furnish  it  cheaply, 
without  carpets  or  unnecessary  'furniture,  and  make  of  it  a 
Christian  home,  where  any  one  could  be  made  welcome.  I 
noticed  as  I  passed  it  yesterday  that  it  was  for  rent  again.'' 

u  But,  my  dear,  while  I  know  what  is  in  your  heart,  and 
feel,  like  you,  that  it  is  positively  sinful  for  us  to  continue  to 
live  here,  surrounded  by  so  much  needless  luxury  (glancing 
around  the  elegant  parsonage  presented  to  him  by  his  former 
parishioners),  while  so  many  people  as  worthy  as  we  are  are 
suffering  for  the  common  necessities  of  life;  yet  have  you  con- 
sidered all  that  is  involved  in  this  undertaking?  Just  think  of 
the  locality ;  such  an  undesirable  place  to  bring  up  our  chil- 
dren. And — " 

"  Yes,  yes !"  responded  Mrs.  Talkwell,  "I  have  thought 
of  all  that.  Here  is  Martha  now.  nineteen  years  old ;  has 
finished  school ;  and  Ruth,  seventeen,  quite  old  enough  to 
begin  to  minister  to  others  in  return  for  all  she  has  received. 
And  as  for  Mark,  he  is  twelve  years  old  today;  and  I  know  of 
no  better  way  to  celebrate  his  birthday  than  for  us  to  resolve 


48  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

here  and  now  to  bid  farewell  to  all  this  wealth  and  luxury ;  to 
go  out  into  the  world  and  l^ve  among  that  kind  of  people  to 
whom  the  Master  sent  his  ministers." 

u  Really,  papa,"  said  Martha,  "don't  hesitate  on  our 
account ;  for  mamma  has  been  talking  the  matter  over  with 
Ruth  and  me,  and  we  would  like  to  try  the  experiment.  We 
are  heartily  sick  of  the  selfishness  and  uselessness  of  the  lives 
we  have  been  living.  If  we  have  any  culture  or  accomplish- 
ments as  the  result  of  all  our  study  and  training,  we  are  quite 
willing  to  let  others  who  have  not  and  can  not  have  such 
privileges  share  the  benefit  of  them  (if  indeed  there  can  be 
any  benefit  in  them)." 

uAnd,  besides!"  exclaimed  Ruth,  "I  believe  we  shall 
learn  to  love  these  people  quite  as  well  as  the  people  with 
whom  we  have  been  associated.  What  little  I  have  taught  in 
the  mission  Sunday  school  has  brought  me  to  see  that  beneath 
their  untidy  appearance  and  rough  behavior  there  is  a  sincerity 
and  frankness  that  are  quite  refreshing.  I  think  we  should  all 
like  it  very  much." 

"  Why,  you  quite  surprise  me  with  your  missionary  zeal!" 
replied  the  doctor,  laughingly. 

"  But  I  decidedly  object,"  interposed  Martha,  "  being 
called  a  missionary.  I  have  seen  so  much  of  that  kind  of 
people  ever  since  I  can  remember  that  the  sound  of  the  word 
is  associated  in  my  mind  with  the  uncanny  and  the  unreal." 

"And  then,"  added  Ruth,  " I  don't  like  the  word  'zeal,' 
either.  It's  all  right,  I  suppose,  but  it  makes  one  think  of 
John  the  Baptist.  I'd  rather  call  it  interest  than  zeal." 

"  Oh,  well,  my  dears,  you'll  have  to  excuse  your  father  in 
an  occasional  use  of  these  old  theological  terms.  They  stick 
to  me  like  bad  habits.  Such  words  have  been  horribly  mis- 
used, and  I  do  not  wonder  you  have  an  aversion  for  them. 
But,  my  son,  what  do  you  think  of  the  idea  of  going  on  North 
Third  street  to  live  in  a  big  house,  with  bare  walls  and  floors, 
bare  windows,  hospital  beds,  wood-bottom  chairs,  cheap  crock- 


A    REFORMED    PARSONAGE.  49 

ery,  and  live  on  soup-bones  instead  of  porter  house  steak? 
How  would  you  like  that,  my  son  ?" 

"Oh,  I  don't  care  where  we  live,  so  long  as  I  have  mamma 
for  my  sweetheart,  and  you  and  the  girls  to  play  with.  We 
can  have  just  as  much  fun  there  as  anywhere,  I  suppose. 
Anyhow,  I  have  more  fun  at  home  than  anywhere  else.  What 
difference  is  it  to  me  what  street  it's  on?" 

"  But,"  interrupted  Mrs.  Talkwell,  u  we  ought  to  consider 
this  business  seriously,  and  get  about  it  at  once.  We  could 
dispose  of  our  furniture,  bric-a-brac  and  jewelry  for  a  consid- 
erable sum.  This  house  will  rent  for  sixty  dollars  a  month, 
which,  together  with  the  salary  they  pay  for  your  Sunday 
mo-ming  reports,  will  make  all  the  income  we  shall  need  for  a 
time  at  least." 

"Well,  really,  my  dear,  I  think  I  shall  turn  the  practical 
details  of  the  matter  over  to  you.  You  seem  to  have  a  head 
for  worldly  wisdom." 

"  What  would  we  call  our  new  home  ? "  asked  Ruth. 

"  I  should  prefer  to  call  it  nothing,"  answered  the  doctor. 
"It  will  be  simply  our  home,  with  room  to  spare.  We  will  be 
only  putting  ourselves  in  a  situation  to  do  what  Jesus  expected 
his  disciples  to  do  when  he  said,  1 1  was  a  stranger  and  ye  took 
me  in.'  As  it  is,  you  see  we  can  do  nothing  of  the  sort.  We 
could  admit  no  stranger  to  our  present  home.  Hospitality 
with  us  is  a  practical  impossibility." 

"  But  why,"  persisted  Ruth,  "  must  we  practice  such  rigid 
economy  and  frugality?" 

"  Well,"  replied  the  doctor  in  mock  gravity,  "in  order  to 
put  my  answer  in  sermon  form,  we  must  practice  economy  and 
frugality  : 

"  First — That  we  may  excite  in  others  no  envy. 

"  Second — That  we  may  tempt  no  man  to  steal  from  us. 

"  Third — That  we  may  have  something  to  spare  for  others. 

"  Fourth — That  we  may  no  longer  be  examples  of  gluttony 
and  extravagance. 


50  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

"  Fifth— That  we  may  be  able  to  follow—" 

"  I  rise  to  a  point  of  order,"  laughingly  interrupted  Mrs. 
Talkwell.  "  We  were  to  have  -no  more  preaching  in  this 
family.  We  were  to  drop  preaching  and  go  to  practicing.  In 
place  of  being  a  family  of  Talk- wells,  we  are  aspiring  to  become 
a  family  of  Do-wells." 

u  Forgive  me,  my  dear.  I  had  temporarily  forgotten  my- 
self. I  will  sin  no  more  in  this  regard.  At  least  I  will  try 
very  hard.  I  wish  there  was  a  gold  cure  for  bad  habits  like 
this.  I  have  other  bad  habits,  but  the  habit  of  preaching  is 
my  worst  one.  The  Lord  reveals  to  me  his  will,  and  instead 
of  doing  it,  I  make  a  sermon  out  of  it  and  shout  it  to  others. 
Then,  like  a  fool,  I  sit  down  and  wonder  why  others  do  not 
do  what  God  has  told  me  to  do.  Seriously,  I  desire  the  prayers 
of  my  family  that  I  may  be  finally  liberated  from  the  perni- 
cious and  lifelong  habit  of  preaching." 

u  But  to  return  to  the  subject  of  economy,"  quietly  re- 
marked Mrs.  Talkwell  with  a  roguish  twinkle  in  her  eye,  "I 
suspect  that  the  girls  have  other  reasons  for  looking  forward 
with  some  anxiety  to  a  home  in  a  private  poorhouse.  I  am 
afraid  they  will  find  it  quite  embarrassing  to  receive  certain  of 
their  callers  in  a  home  such  as  we  have  been  talking  about, 
especially  as  they  are  liable  to  meet  there — " 

"No,  mamma,"  interrupted  Ruth,  UI  think  you  do  us 
both  injustice.  You  know  very  well  we  shall  not  consider  that 
we  have  lost  anything  to  lose  callers  who  would  object  on  such 
grounds." 

And  yet  the  tell-tale  blushes  on  the  faces  of  the  two  girls 
indicated  that  the  remark  of  their  mother  had  raised  in  their 
minds  a  phase  of  the  question  which  they  had  already  thought 
about.  Poor  girls.  We  congratulate  you  and  yet  we  pity 
you.  If  you  take  this  step  you  will  need  no  young  people's 
religious  meetings  to  suggest  Christian  work  for  you.  It  will 
come  to  you  thick  and  fast.  You  will  need  no  tracts,  lesson 
leaves,  or  sermons,  to  tell  you  what  to  do.  You  will  need  only 


A    REFORMED    PARSONAGE.  51 

frequent  recourse  to  your  closet,  where,  with  door  shut,  your 
Father  will  come  to  you  in  secret  with  the  wisdom  and 
strength  for  each  day's  work. 

Thus  it  was  that  the  Talkwell  family  established  their 
new  home.  Such  a  home  that  if  Jesus  were  to  come  into  this 
city  hungry,  friendless,  and  with  no  place  to  lay  his  head,  he 
would  find  ready  welcome,  instead  of  being  met  with  suspicion 
or  scorn  or  fed  on  the  back  porch  with  a  few  cold  scraps  like  a 
dog. 

Not  a  public  institution  nor  yet  a  proselyting  dodge,  but 
simply  a  Christian  home;  just  such  a  home  as  is  absolutely 
indispensable  to  Christian  hospitality.  The  only  sort  of  a 
home  that  has  the  least  vestige  of  excuse  for  claiming  to  be  a 
Christian  home.  Not  a  place  of  many  inmates,  but  simply  a 
few  guests,  with  such  a  degree  of  intimacy  as  to  make  fraud 
impossible  and  merit  recognizable.  In  short,  a  Christian  home 
where  Christian  hospitality  and  fraternity  are  possible. 


A  PRACTICAL  BEGINNING. 


''Render  Unto  Cresar  the  Things  that  are   Caesar's,  and   Unto   God 
the  Things  that  are  God's." 


was  an  unwonted  flush  of  enthusiasm  notice- 
able in  the  face  of  Dr.  Talkwell  last  Sunday  as 
he  awaited  the  seating  of  the  vast  audience  assem- 
bling to  hear  his  report  from  the  neglected  places  of 
our  city.  He  seemed  overwhelmed  with  surprise  at  the  change 
in  the  personnel  of  his  audience.  The  faces  of  many  old 
friends  and  former  parishioners  were  missing,  as  it  had  been 
rumored  that  the  doctor's  report  might  make  it  embarrassing 
for  certain  owners  of  property  located  in  the  Bad  Lands,  who 
were  members  of  his  former  church.  But  where  one  had  left 
his  audience,  twenty  had  come,  seemingly  of  the  working 
class.  But  if  any  came  to  hear  a  sensational  lecture  they 
were  disappointed,  for  whatever  else  the  doctor  may  be,  he  is 
not  a  sensational  pulpiteer. 

After  the  organ  voluntary  had  ceased,  after  the  audience 
was  waiting  with  breathless  expectation,  still  the  doctor  sat 
with  bowed  head,  as  if  in  meditation  or  silent  prayer.  A 
solemn  hush  fell  on  the  assembly.  No  audible  prayer  could 
have  effected  such  a  sincere  and  impressive  devotional  spirit 
as  seemed  to  pervade  the  whole  congregation.  It  seemed, 
indeed,  as  if  the  Lord  was  in  his  temple,  and  all  the  earth  kept 
silent.  The  omission  in  these  services  of  the  usual  stereotyped 
prayer  was  never  fully  understood  and  appreciated  by  the 
church-goers  until  this  service.  Not  a  word  was  spoken,  and 


A    PRACTICAL    BEGINNING.  53 

yet  never  in  the  history  of  this  church  was  an  audience  so 
touched  by  a  spirit  of  true  devotion.  "And  thy  Father,  which 
seeth  in  secret  shall  reward  thee  openly,"  these  words  spoken 
by  Jesus  so  long  ago  took  on  a  new  meaning  to  every  one. 

The  report,  (of  which  unfortunately  only  the  briefest  synop- 
sis can  be  allowed  space,)  was  given  without  notes  in  an  easy? 
familiar  manner.  It  was  an  occasion  when  oratory  would 
have  seemed  vulgar,  and  poetry  as  much  out  of  place  as  at  a 
cabinet  meeting. 

He  said  among  other  things :  If  any  have  stayed  away 
from  this  meeting  for  fear  of  the  report  I  am  about  to  make, 
it  is  another  example  of  the  Scripture  that  says:  uThe 
wicked  fleeth  when  no  man  pursueth."  I  am  neither  a  Gat- 
ling  gun  nor  a  blatant,  meddler  with  other  people's  affairs.  I 
am  at  work  trying  to  find  out  all  I  can  about  this  city,  but  I 
shall  take  plenty  of  time  and  caution  before  I  repeat  the  items 
to  this  meeting.  Notwithstanding  I  have  been  a  pastor  in  this 
city  for  over  ten  years,  I  know  next  to  nothing  about  the  city, 
but  I  do  know  enough  about  it  to  comprehend  that  these 
things  can  not  be  understood  in  a  day  or  in  a  month.  I  am 
not  one  of  those  who  think  they  can  go  slumming  Saturday 
night  and  then  stand  in  the  pulpit  Sunday  morning  and  tell 
the  city  officials  how  to  run  the  city  government.  This  h<r.s 
already  been  done  in  this  city  several  times  with  very  unfor- 
tunate results  to  every  one  concerned.  I  am  not  going  to  fol- 
low this  very  unwise  example. 

Let  me  tell  you  briefly  what  I  am  proposing  to  do.  I  am 
determined  to  juggle  no  longer  with  the  plain  words  of  Jesus. 
I  am  going  to  do  as  he  told  me  to  do,  partly,  at  least  (for  you 
remember  that  I  have  already  confessed  to  you  that  I  have 
neither  the  courage  nor  the  faith  to  become  wholly  a  Christian 
minister).  I  am  going  to  leave  the  ninety  and  nine  sheep  that 
are  safe  within  the  fold,  and  I  am  going  out  to  hunt  for  the 
lost  one,  and  shall  not  be  at  all  surprised  if  I  find  ten  where  I 
was  looking  for  one. 


54  REV.    TALKWEIwI/S    SKETCHES. 

I  mean  by  lost  sheep  simply  those  who  are  getting  the 
worst  of  it.  I  mean  those  who  for  one  reason  or  another  are 
deprived  of  the  bounties  which  God  has  provided  for  all  alike. 
I  mean  those  who  are  suffering  from  cold,  or  hunger,  or 
injustice,  or  disease,  or  neglect,  or  degradation  of  any  kind. 
With  the  great  chariot  of  progress  I  have  no  quarrel  whatever. 
The  most  of  us  were  lucky  enough  to  get  into  this  chariot 
where  we  are  riding  safe  from  the  perils  that  assail  those  out- 
side. Ninety  are  on  the  chariot,  ten  are  under  its  wheels, 
being  crushed  to  death  by  its  progress.  We,  who  are  safe, 
have  no  cause  for  boasting  or  egotism.  The  reason  we  are 
aboard  instead  of  being  ground  under  the  wheels  is  the  accident 
of  hereditary  endowment,  early  education,  and  other  peculiar 
circumstances  over  which  we  have  no  control. 

I  want  to  go  to  my  lost  brothers.  Not  because  they  are 
worse  men  than  I  am,  but  because  they  are  suffering.  I  have 
been  safely  housed  all  these  years  within  the  told,  ministering 
to  the  ninety  and  nine,  diligently  stopping  my  ears  to  the 
piteous  bleatings  of  the  lost  one  on  the  dreary,  cold  mountains 
of  despair  and  wretchedness.  I  have  tried  to  make  myself  and 
others  believe  that  Jesus  did  not  exactly  mean  that  I  was  to 
go  out  of  the  comfortable,  warm,  elegant  sheep-fold  and  give 
up  my  whole  time  in  the  search  for  lost  sheep  in  the  wretched 
squalor,  where  vice  and  vulgarity  shudder  and  cringe. 

I  was  willing  to  collect  money  to  hire  some  one  else  to  go 
after  the  lost  one  or  deliver  beautiful  exhortations  to  admiring 
congregations  on  the  subject,  but  that  I,  the  scholarly  writer, 
the  eloquent  preacher,  the  refined  Christian  gentleman,  should 
attend  in  person  to  such  small  matters  seemed  ridiculous. 
And  I  should  have  made  myself  thoroughly  ridiculous  had  I 
attempted  it,  without  a  doubt,  for  with  all  my  learning  I  knew 
nothing  whatever  about  real  Christian  ministry.  But  now 
that  I  desired  to  stop  quibbling  and  do  some  real  Christian 
work,  a  new  difficulty  arose. 

How  to  go  about  it — that  was  my  problem.     The  higher 


A    PRACTICAL    BEGINNING.  55 

criticisms  or  social  theories  were  of  no  use  to  me  now.  My 
immense  and  costly  library  was  useless  trash  in  this  extremity. 
I  could  not  solve  this  problem  with  a  lead  pencil  safe  in  my 
cosy  study,  as  I  had  been  in  the  habit  of  solving  social  prob- 
lems. I  spent  several  restless  nights  in  which  no  sleep  came 
to  my  relief. 

Even  my  prayers  seemed  of  no  avail  in  this  matter,  for  I 
was  praying  through  the  thick  fog  of  my  own  prejudices.  I 
did  not  know  I  was  prejudiced;  no  one  does.  Every  preju- 
diced man  thinks  he  is  fair  and  liberal.  It  is  only  after  he  gets 
over  it  that  he  discovers  that  he  was  prejudiced. 

During  all  the  time  when  I  was  wondering  what  I  should 
do  and  how  I  should  begin,  the  evil  city  government  kept 
reverting  to  my  mind  as  the  logical  and  probable  place  lor 
assistance.  In  their  public  distribution  of  alms,  in  the  man- 
agement of  public  safety,  with  the  information  collected  by 
the  policemen  who  patrol  every  part  of  the  city  day  and  night, 
what  institution  or  institutions' could  possibly  be  in  possession 
of  so  much  information  ?  Here  my  prejudice  arose. 

While  I  had  not  made  myself  prominent  in  any  opposi- 
tion or  criticism  upon  the  city  authorities,  yet  the  public  utter- 
ances of  those  who  had  done  so,  had  prejudiced  my  mind 
against  the  authorities.  While  I  knew  nothing  about  the 
matter  personally,  yet  I  harbored  a  vague  notion  that  they 
were  bad  men  and  cared  for  little  else  than  boodle  and  were 
as  far  removed  from  any  desire  to  assist  any  Christian  work  as 
it  was  possible  for  any  set  of  men  to  be.  Mind  you,  I  did  not 
know  anything  about  this,  and  yet  the  persistent  and  repeated 
attacks,  assertions  and  insinuations  of  these  critics  had  thor- 
oughly prejudiced  my  mind  against  our  city  authorities. 

It  was,  therefore,  with  great  hesitation,  that  I  finally  con- 
cluded to  visit  the  mayor's  office.  I  expected  to  find  —  well, 
no  matter  what  I  expected.  I  had  rather  tell  you  what  I  did 
find.  I  found  a  cordial  welcome,  a  respectful  and  sympathetic 
attention  to  all  I  had  to  say,  and  when  I  revealed  the  fact  that 


56  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

I  only  wished  to  come  into  such  relations  to  the  poverty,  vice 
and  degradation  of  our  city  as  to  enable  me  to  understand 
them,  to  report  them  and  try  to  be  of  assistance  in  mitigating 
them,  I  was  not  only  assured  of  his  personal  aid,  but  every 
facility  afforded  by  the  city  government  was  offered  me.  There 
were  placed  before  me  plans  and  work  already  done  in  this 
direction.  The  quiet  benevolences,  the  unknown  charities, 
the  un-talked  of  humanities  that  had  been  going  on  in  this 
public  office  all  through  the  pitiless  shower  of  vituperation 
and  slander  of  the  churches,  were  incidentally  revealed  to  me 
as  our  conversation  continued.  I  was  astonished  and  ashamed, 
and  yet  pleased  that  I  had  found  the  assistance  I  so  much 
needed. 

The  personal  and  official  assistance  rendered  me  by  the 
executive  department  has  enabled  me  to  find  out  more  about 
our  city  inside  of  two  weeks  —  yes,  a  hundred  times  more  — 
than  I  had  learned  in  ten  years  of  pastoral  work.  Now  that  I 
have  assumed  sympathetic  relations  to  the  city  government 
my  old  distrust  and  hostility  are  rapidly  disappearing.  I 
expect  to  find  imperfections  —  where  shall  I  look  for  perfec- 
tion? But  surely  fraternity  is  better  than  estrangement.  I 
regret  that  I  did  not  see  this  long  ago.  Why  did  I  not  follow 
my  Master  in  such  things  ?  The  scribes  and  Pharisees  tried 
in  every  way  to  get  him  to  speak  ill  of  the  very  unjust  govern- 
ment that  prevailed  in  his  time.  But  not  a  word  of  criticism 
could  they  get  from  him.  When  tli€;y  brought  him  the  tribute 
money  and  asked  him  if  it  was  lawful  for  Cassar  to  collect 
tribute  of  them,  he  would  answer  them  nothing  else  but 
u  Render  unto  Cassar  the  things  that  are  Caesars ;  and  unto 
God  the  things  that  are  God's."  To  criticise  governments  was 
not  the  Master's  work.  He  came  to  bring  good  tidings  of 
peace  to  all  men,  especially  to  the  poor,  the  downtrodden,  the 
outcast. 

I  wish  I  had  always  attended  to  my  own  business,  instead 
of  spending  my  strength  in  criticising  other  people's  affairs. 


A    PRACTICAL    BEGINNING.  57 

Nothing  is  so  much  needed  in  our  cities  as  sympathetic 
relation  between  the  churches  and  the  city  government.  This 
could  be  easily  brought  about  if  the  churches  would  try  to  do 
as  Jesus  did  in  these  matters.  I  have  every  reason  to  believe 
that  the  people  who  constitute  the  city  governments  would 
meet  all  respectful  advances  on  the  part  of  the  churches  with 
courtesy. 

Some  of  the  churches  entirely  ignore  the  city  government, 
paying  no  attention  whatever  to  the  affairs  of  the  city.  This 
is  very  wrong.  Others  of  the  churches  are  spending  their 
strength  and  vitality  in  fighting  the  city  government.  This  is 
also  wrong.  I  fear  the  churches  are  rare,  indeed,  who  are 
earnestly  trying,  in  a  Christian  spirit,  to  make  friends  with 
the  city  government,  and  thus  become  of  real  use  to  the  city. 

I  hope  my  past  errors  in  this  respect  will  be  somewhat 
atoned  for  by  my  future  conduct.  No  one  in  this  city  is  in 
greater  need  of  reform  than  myself.  I  see  this  now,  very 
plainly.  I  wish  I  had  seen  it  before. 


A   PREACHER'S  EMANCIPATION. 


41  Come  Unto  Me,  All  Ye  That  Labor  and  are  Heavy    Laden,   and   I 
Will  Give  You  Rest." 


JT  THE  close  of  a  very  interesting  report  of  our  city's 
by-ways,  which  was  mainly  statistical,  the  doctor 
closed  with  the  following  words  :  When  I  was  in 
the  regular  pastorate  I  was  often  at  my  wit's  end 
to  know  what  to  preach  about  next.  It  seemed  to  me  often 
that  I  had  preached  every  subject  I  could  think  of  thread- 
bare. Oh,  for  something  new  to  preach  about.  This  was  my 
perpetual  worry.  With  something  to  preach  about  it  was  easy 
enough  to  make  a  sermon.  I  used  to  invent  all  sorts  of  means 
to  suggest  new  themes  for  my  pulpit.  I  would  search  through 
books  of  sermons,  glance  over  the  pages  of  an  encyclopedia, 
turn  the  leaves  of  my  dictionary,  rummage  in  historic  anec- 
dotes, anything  and  everything  to  ring  a  change  on  the 
hackneyed  questions  and  trite  topics  which  I  considered 
proper  for  pulpit  work. 

I  must  have  succeeded  in  this  better  than  the  average 
preacher,  for  my  success  in  drawing  and  holding  an  audience 
was  good,  as  you  all  know.  But  the  anxious  agony  it  cost 
me  kept  me  constantly  in  a  state  of  restless  absent-mindedness, 
oblivious  to  the  pathos,  the  humor  and  the  beauty  of  every- 
day happenings  about  me.  The  shivering  beggar,  the  chatter- 
ing school  girl,  the  swaggering  policeman,  the  noisy  parade, 
were  all  passed  by  me  without  the  slightest  interruption  to 
my  exhausting  cogitations.  Oh,  the  brain  weariness  of  it  all! 


A    PREACHER'S    EMANCIPATION.  59 

I  shudder  as  I  recall  it.  It  comes  back  to  me  like  the  memory 
of  a  horrible  nightmare. 

But  all  is  changed  now.  Since  breaking  away  from  the 
necessity  of  preaching  two  sermons  about  nothing  every  week, 
and  since  spending  my  time  more  as  Jesus  did  among  the 
people,  I  find  my  themes  accumulating  much  more  rapidly 
than  I  can  dispose  of  them.  Your  written  questions  have 
piled  up  about  me  here  until  I  scarcely  know  what  to  do 
with  them.  Such  pertinent  questions,  too!  Questions  that 
probe  the  innerness  of  subjects  entirely  new  to  me,  but 
extremely  interesting.  I  can  scarcely  wait  for  the  opportunity 
to  speak  to  you  on  Sunday  morning. 

Notwithstanding  that  we  have  dispensed  with  all  pre- 
liminaries, except  the  organ  voluntary,  and  all  concluding 
ceremonies  other  than  to  shake  hands  and  go  home,  yet  the 
time  seems  far  too  short  for  me  to  say  to  you  what  is  in  my 
heart!  If  every  day  were  Sunday  I  should  have  no  want  of 
new  themes  to  bring  to  your  attention.  The  home  that  I  live 
in  now  brings  them  to  me  thicker  and  faster.  My  daily  duties 
and  privileges  are  better  than  all  the  libraries  on  earth  as 
sermon-making  material.  And  the  joy  of  it  all,  the  exhilara- 
tion of  it  and  the  healthy  reaction  of  sleep  and  rest  which 
follow  such  fatigue  as  this.  Oh,  the  freedom  of  it !  I  would 
not  go  back  to  my  bonds  again  for  the  world.  The  bonds  that 
bound  me  to  conventionalities,  that  bound  me  to  proprieties, 
that  bound  me  to  the  niceties  of  modern  culture,  that  bound 
me  to  creeds,  to  church  usages,  pastoral  duties,  to  ecclesiastical 
burden  bearing. 

Oh,  that  I  had  heard  the  voice  of  my  Master  years  ago, 
calling  me  from  the  foolish  worry  and  futile  labors  which 
beset  me.  How  many  times  have  I  read,  for  the  benefit  of 
others,  my  Master's  words  when  he  said  :  u  Come  unto  me, 
all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I  will  give  you 
rest." 

I  little  thought,  in  those  days  when  I  was  reading  this  to 


60  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

others,  no  man  needed  to  heed  this  invitation  more  than 
myself.  All  the  dreary  days  I  was  heavy  laden  and  bearing 
useless  burdens,  burdens  that  Jesus  never  intended  me  to 
bear.  Now  that  I  have  broken  the  ecclesiastical  chains  that 
bound  me  to  the  pitiless  proprieties  of  church  usages  I  have 
found  that  rest  which  Jesus  promised  his  followers. 

I  can  go  in  and  out  now  among  the  people,  the  poor  people, 
the  depraved  people,  the  ones  who  need  me  most,  with  no  church 
dignity  to  weigh  me  down,  or  ecclesiastical  propriety  to  pull  me 
back.  I  have  to  consult  no  one's  quirks  or  qualms  on  these 
subjects  but  my  own.  The  usages  of  polite  society,  the  fetters 
of  orthodoxy  are  nothing  to  me  whatever.  And  the  freedom  of 
it !  I  never  understood  before  what  was  meant  by  the  freedom 
of  the  gospel.  To  be  free  from  the  law,  the  unwritten  law  of 
society,  the  church  and  tradition.  I  never  understood  before 
what  Jesus  meant  when  he  said :  a  And  ye  shall  know  the 
truth  and  the  truth  shall  make  you  free,"  and  again,  "if 
the  son  shall  make  you  free,  ye  shall  be  free,  indeed." 
This  may  sound  to  you  like  boyish  enthusiasm,  but  it  seems 
quite  real  to  me.  If  you  could  realize  the  hampering  influ- 
ences and  the  suffocating  limitations  of  the  regular  pastor's 
life,  you  would  be  better  able  to  understand  the  joy  of  my 
emancipation. 

No  man  has  less  time  or  less  strength  to  devote  to  real 
Christian  ministry.  His  life  is  filled  with  petty  annoyances, 
frivolous  interruptions  and  futile  distractions.  No  time  is  his 
own  time,  no  day  is  his  day  of  rest.  He  has  neither  holy  days 
nor  holidays.  His  cares,  domestic,  ecclesiastical  and  social ; 
his  burdens,  financial,  clerical  and  scholastic,  weigh  him  down. 
I  know  by  experience  how  gladly  he  would  break  away  from 
the  whole  torturing  business  if  he  dared  to.  But  he  feels  sure 
that  church  traditions  and  personal  necessities  have  bound 
him  hopelessly  to  the  stake  of  public  opinion.  He  honestly 
believes  that  the  faggots  of  censorship  are  piled  high  about 
him,  and  that  the  least  attempt  to  break  away  from  old  beliefs 


A    PREACHER'S    EMANCIPATION.  61 

and  usages  would  only  light  the  fire  which  would  make   his 
martyrdom  complete. 

But  this  is  not  true.  The  people  are  ready  to  support  real 
gospel  ministry.  They  are  as  tired  of  paying  for  this  sort  of 
thing  as  the  preachers  are  tired  of  furnishing  it.  It  only  needs 
a  little  frankness  and  mutual  confession  on  both  sides  to  end 
this  long  drawn  out  misunderstanding.  Your  magnanimous 
treatment  of  my  confession  and  resignation  is  a  prophecy  of 
what  is  to  come.  "  Thy  kingdom  come,  thy  will  be  done  on 
earth." 


EVOLUTION  AND  CHRISTIANITY. 


44  For  We  Know  That  the  Whole  Creation  Qroaneth  and  Travaileth 
Together  in  Pain  Until  Now." 


JT  THE  close  of  his  regular  Sunday  morning  report, 
Dr.  Talkwell  said :  I  find  a  question  here  which 
has  been  repeated  so  many  times  I  am  inclined  to 
answer  it.  It  is  this :  "  How  do  you  reconcile  the 
theory  of  evolution  to  your  teaching  on  the  Christian  min- 
istry ? "  The  evolution  of  human  society  is  a  phrase  that  is 
on  the  lips  of  almost  everybody,  nowadays,  but  how  few  really 
believe  in  it.  If  this  phrase  means  anything  it  means  spon- 
taneous growth,  growth  from  inherent  forces,  conscious  but 
not  self-conscious  growth,  a  growth  that  no  one  can  hinder  or 
help.  Reformers  make  for  themselves  early  graves  by  sup- 
posing that  they  can  help  society  to  grow  ;  tyrants  are  crushed 
in  the  attempt  to  stop  its  growth.  Governments  seek  to  guide 
a  growth  they  do  not  understand,  and  the  lawless  strive 
to  break  the  laws  of  their  being  which  no  man  can  break. 
Men  shout  themselves  hoarse  in  advocating  theories  of  quick- 
ening the  growth  of  society  or  make  themselves  ridiculous  by 
trying  to  turn  back  the  wheels  of  time,  but  the  slow,  ceaseless, 
irresistible  evolution  goes  on,  giving  heed  to  none.  Absolutely 
impartial,  completely  immutable. 

Men  may  pray  or  men  may  curse ;  the  growth  of  society 
is  neither  hastened  nor  impeded.  Institutions  rise,  nations 
spring  up,  customs  flourish,  but  these  all  pass  away  without 
leaving  a  trace  to  mark  their  futile  attempt  to  increase  or 
decrease  the  pulse  beat  of  creation  one  whit.  Creeds,  statutes, 


EVOLUTION    AND    CHRISTIANITY.  63 

theologies,  usages,  revelations,  are  but  clods  that  cling  to  the 
wheels  of  time  in  their  ponderous,  unhesitating  revolution, 
clods  that  are  soon  flung  by  the  wayside  by  the  centrifugal 
force  of  progress.  Who  can  help  God?  Who  .can  hurry  prov- 
idence ? 

This  evolution  is  carried  on  by  eternal,  changeless  laws — 
God's  laws.  I  do  not  mean  by  the  law,  the  Old  Testament 
canon,  or  the  New  Testament  canon.  I  mean  the  rational 
laws  upon  which  society  rests,  the  law  of  trade,  the  law  of 
mental  growth,  the  physical  laws,  the  laws  of  the  universe, 
the  laws  that  govern  all  social  relations,  and  all  other  laws, 
physical,  mental,  and  spiritual,  upon  which  the  evolution 
of  society  depends.  Man  did  not  make  these  laws.  Man 
can  not  unmake  these  laws ;  man  can  not  break  these  laws 
nor  prevent  them.  He  can  destroy  himself  by  standing  in 
the  way  of  them.  The  church  is  one  of  the  great  educa- 
tional institutions  of  the  land,  one  of  the  forces  that  is 
working  out  the  evolution  of  society.  The  church,  like  all 
other  institutions  of  civilization,  is  a  part  of  the  great  system 
of  law  which  undertakes  to  govern  the  growth  of  society. 
The  church  has  a  work  to  do,  but  it  is  a  work  of  the  law, 
not  of  the  Gospel.  Jesus  said  that  he  came  not  to  destroy 
the  law,  but  that  every  jot  and  tittle  of  the  law  must  be 
fulfilled. 

Every  honest  merchant,  every  well-meaning  mechanic, 
every  conscientious  student,  every  sincere  preacher,  is  working 
out  the  problem  of  the  evolution  of  human  society.  Books 
can  not  do  this,  nor  talk  can  not.  Experience  in  actual  busi- 
ness relations  is  the  only  guide.  Sentiment  has  little  or  no 
part  to  play  in  it.  Complete  justice,  absolute  equity,  this  is 
all  that  is  needed  to  prepare  the  world  for  the  kingdom  of 
God.  The  laws  inherent  in  the  nature  of  things  must  bring  in 
this  justice  and  equity.  We  can  not  hope  for  these  things  to 
come  from  any  other  source.  Talking  will  not  do  it. 

In  the  meantime,  while  this  grind'  of  social  forces  is  going 


64  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

on,  a  process  which  no  man  can  hinder  or  help,  there  is  a  large 
multitude  of  people,  who,  from  no  fault  of  theirs,  are  being 
ground  to  death.  This  is  inevitable,  incurable,  and  but  slowly 
growing  more  tolerable.  Thousands  are  suffering,, thousands 
will  continue  to  suffer,  for  which  there  is  no  radical  remedy 
available ;  no  cure  possible.  It  is  to  these  that  the  Christian 
minister  is  called.  His  mission  to  them  is  not  reformation  or 
condemnation,  or,  so-called,  salvation.  It  is  simply  the  mis- 
sion of  the  Master  Jesus  to  bind  up  the  broken-hearted,  to  show 
them  that  the  part  they  are  taking  in  the  evolution  of  human 
society  is  no  mean  part ;  that  they  are  the  chiefest  of  martyrs 
and  not  the  chiefest  of  sinners.  To  show  them  the  dignity  of 
poverty,  the  value  of  adversity ;  to  show  them  that  a  clean 
heart  and  a  right  spirit  (the  only  real  treasure  in  this  world) 
are  as  near,  even  nearer,  to  them  than  to  the  rich  and  the 
arrogant. 

Many  questions  handed  to  me  seem  to  indicate  a  belief 
that  I  am  teaching  a  new  doctrine  of  Christian  living.  This  is 
a  mistake.  What  I  have  been  saying  applies  only  to  the 
Christian  minister.  We  who  pretend  to  be  doing  the  work  of 
the  Christian  minister  are  not  doing  this  work  at  all.  We 
only  talk,  talk,  talk.  That's  all.  We  say  I  go,  but  do  not  go. 
It  is  of  the  minister  I  am  speaking.  As  to  the  rank  and  file 
of  the  so-called  Christian  church  1  have  nothing  to  say.  I 
wofider  at  the  faith  and  long  suffering  that  enables  them  to 
bear  the  burdens  of  an  institution  that  has  so  little  to  give  in 
return. 

I  am  surprised  that  they  are  able  to  sit  Sunday  after 
Sunday  and  hear  us  ministers  tell  the  people  to  do  the  very 
thing  that  the  Master  sent  the  minister  to  do.  Little  by  little 
the  minister  has  shifted  his  own  work  upon  the  people  until 
at  last  he  has  come  to  think  that  his  only  duty  is  to  talk,  to 
tell  some  one  else  what  to  do. 

The  minister  was  sent  to  bind  up  the  broken  hearted,  to 
comfort  the  oppressed.  It  was  not  the  people  who  were  sent 


EVOLUTION    AND    CHRISTIANITY.  65 

to  do  this;  it  was  the  minister.  But  the  minister  does  not  do 
it.  He  simply  stands  in  his  pulpit  and  tells  the  people  to  do 
it,  for  which  he  draws  a  salary.  He  does  not  clearly  tell  the 
people  how  to  do  anything,  for  he  does  not  know  himself. 
Therefore  the  people  do  not  go.  And  so  it  comes  to  pass  that 
no  one  goes.  Thus  the  down-trodden  ones  are  allowed  to 
suffer  on.  They  get  the  worst  of  everything.  They  work  the 
hardest,  eat  the  meanest  food,  sleep  where  the  minister's  dog 
would  not  sleep.  The  minister  tries  to  comfort  himself  with 
the  fact  that  Jesus  sometimes  talked  to  a  rich  man.  There- 
fore they  are  justified  in  living  on  princely  salaries  and  con- 
tinuing their  genteel  professions. 

If  we  did  not  call  ourselves  Christian  ministers  and  usurp 
this  function  of  ministry,  other  Christians  would  arise  to  do 
this  work.  But  we  u  neither  go  in  ourselves  nor  allow  those 
who  would  go  in  to  pass.''  The  greatest  trouble  is  we  are 
devising  ideals  instead  of  dealing  with  the  real.  What  is,  not 
what  ought  to  be.  is  our  real  work.  Ideals  do  more  mischief 
than  good,  since  they  tend  only  to  paralyze  present  effort. 
Yet  ideals  have  their  place.  To  have  a  clear  ideal,  with  a 
distinct  comprehension  of  the  real,  is  the  end  of  all  wisdom. 

All  knowledge  tends  to  set  before  the  mind  a  vision  of 
the  ideal  or  else  portray  s^me  detail  of  the  real.  To  adjust 
one's  self  to  the  real  without  defacing  the  beauty  of  the  ideal  is 
the  highest  goal  of  human  endeavor.  To  live  in  harmony  with 
the  present  generation,  and  yet  not  be  blinded  by  its  incom- 
pleteness, is  true  philosophy.  To  see  the  golden  age  ahead 
without  dazzling  the  eyes  of  the  lesser  beau  I  y  of  the  Now  and 
Here  is  to  be  at  once  practical  and  pious.  To  have  faith  in 
the  present  providences,  as  well  as  in  the  past  and  future 
providences,  is  to  have  both  faith  and  works.  To  believe 
in  present  revelations  and  not  despise  past  revelations  is 
to  be  neither  conservative  nor  radical.  To  see  the  worth  of 
the  present  without  underestimating  the  greater  worth  of  the 
future  is  the  truest  sanity,  the  safest  theology.  Oh,  to  be  true 
to  the  best  feeling  of  the  present  without  blurring  my  image 
of  better  things  to  come ;  to  hold  present  joys  side  by  side 
with  anticipations  of  the  ideal  —  for  this  I  most  devoutly  wish 
and  pray. 


LOVE,  THE  ONLY  RELIGION. 


*•  And  if  I    Give   My   Body   to   be    Burned,  But   Have   Not   Love,    it 
Profiteth  Me  Nothing." 


;T  THE  close  of  the  organ  voluntary  last  Sunday 
morning.  Dr.  Talkwell  said:  I  find  a  number  of 
questions  before  me  that  cover  virtually  the  same 
ground.  They  are  practical  and  pertinent  questions, 
and  deserve  a  more  complete  answer  than  I  shall  be  able  to 
give  them  this  morning.  I  will  read  you  a  sample  of  them  : 
"  Are  not  the  wicked  and  depraved  receiving  simply  what 
they  deserve  and  are  therefore  not  entitled  to  our  considera- 
tion?1' u  How  can  we  love  the  depraved,  the  vulgar,  the 
ignorant  and  the  vicious?"  a  Ought  we  to  help  such  people 
at  all?"  I  have  received  many  similar  questions  and  invite 
your  attention  to  the  following  considerations  as  possibly  pre- 
senting the  matter  in  a  new  light. 

The  accident  of  birth  determines  whether  or  not  a  person 
is  to  be  reared  in  depravity  or  culture.  And  yet  it  i^  this  very 
thing  that  we  are  constantly  forgetting,  when  we  harbor 
any  blame  or  aversion  towards  the  depraved.  If  it  has  hap- 
pened thai  you  are  better  than  your  neighbor,  may  it  not  be 
wholly  due  to  superior  parentage  and  early  surroundings,  for 
which  you  are  entitled  to  no  credit  whatever?  The  only  just 
way  to  judge  of  your  neighbors  merit  is  to  ask  yourself, 
u  would  I  with  the  same  hereditary  influences,  the  same  early 
•ducation,  with  the  same  mishaps  that  have  befallen  him, 
would  I  have  done  better  than  he  has?" 


LOVE,    THE    ONLY    RELIGION.  67 

Is  it  not  possible  to  look  at  each  man  or  woman  in  the 
world,  high  and  low,  good  and  bad,  as  acting  a  necessary  part 
in  the  evolution  of  human  society?  At  first  statement  such  a 
proposition  does  not  sound  right ;  but  let  us  consider  it 
further. 

In  this  light  we  might  look  upon  the  world  as  a  great 
drama,  with  the  villain  and  the  hero;  the  nobleman  and  the 
peasant;  the  beggar  and  the  Shylock ;  the  drunkard  and  the 
miser ;  the  Pharisee  and  the  prodigal ;  the  overworked  and 
the  idle ;  in  which  all  these  characters  are  taken  by  the  dif- 
ferent members  of  the  human  family.  That  God  has  so  fixed 
it  that  while  it  is  not  absolutely  essential  that  each  one  of 
these  characters  must  come  onto  the  stage  of  action  before  his 
kingdom  can  come  on  earth,  yet  he  has  so  wisely  arranged 
things  that  in  case  they  do  come  onto  the  scene  of  action,  that 
instead  of  hindering  the  coming  of  God's  kingdom  upon  earth, 
they  shall  actually  all  of  them  work  together,  each  in  his  own 
way,  to  the  bringing  on  earth  the  final  balance  of  forces  which 
shall  be  the  kingdom  of  God  on  earth. 

That  the  drunkard  is  God's  temperance  lecturer;  that  the 
thief  teaches  the  fallacy  of  dishonesty  and  crookedness ;  that 
the  murderer  is  a  practical  demonstration  of  the  command 
"  Thou  shalt  not  kill;  "  that  the  just  man  is  an  object  lesson 
in  righteousness ;  that  he  who  does  right  or  wrong  teaches  by 
his  actions,  more  effectually  than  any  words  can  teach,  the 
everlasting  truths  of  God ;  that  we  are  to  consider  wickedness 
as  working  together  with  righteousness  to  bring  peace  on 
earth;  that  mankind  is  so  constituted,  that  he  is  a  being  of  so 
high  an  order,  that  experience  only  can  teach  him  great  truths 
which  God  wishes  him  to  know. 

To  illustrate  :  The  villain  is  just  as  necessary  to  bring  out 
the  pathos  of  a  play  on  the  stage  as  the  hero.  The  only  dif- 
ference is,  his  part  is  not  so  pleasant  a  part  to  play  as  is  the 
hero's.  The  hero  gets  all  the  applause.  The  villain  gets  all 


68  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

the  hisses.  But  both  are  working  together  to  produce  the 
same  general  result. 

Why  can  we  not  look  upon  the  world  in  all  its  activities 
in  the  same  light?  Circumstances  over  which  the  man  had 
little  or  no  control,  may  have  determined  that  his  part  in  this 
great  drama  of  life  shall  be  a  drunkard,  a  beggar  or  a  libertine. 
Surely  he  has  a  hard  part  to  play.  His  is  the  thorny  path. 
But  if  we  could  only  grasp  the  idea  that  after  all  he  is  just  as 
surely  demonstrating  the  goodness  of  God  by  his  failure  to 
find  happiness  in  his  course  of  life,  as  the  righteous  man  is 
demonstrating  the  goodness  of  God  by  his  success  in  finding 
happiness  in  a  righteous  life. 

The  chemist  in  deciding  the  truth  of  an  experiment  over 
and  over  again  in  every  possible  way,  proves  by  his  failures,  as 
well  as  his  successes,  the  hidden  truth  he  is  trying  to  discover. 
In  this  great  drama  of  life,  in  which  we  find  some  one  trying 
every  possible  way  to  discover  the  secret  of  a  happy  life,  those 
who  make  a  failure  teach  as  useful  a  lesson  as  those  who  make 
a  success.  Each  wrecked  life  upon  the  sands  of  time  is  a 
warning  signal  to  the  traveler,  guiding  the  way  of  the  inex- 
perienced. If  we  could  take  such  a  view  as  this  of  the  great 
struggle  of  life  in  which  we  are  placed,  would  it  not  be  pos- 
sible for  us  then  to  love  those  who  have  been  called  upon  to 
play  the  harder  part  ?  Can  not  the  hero  on  the  stage  be  the 
friend  of  the  villain,  even  though  the  villain  has  a  hateful  part 
to  play  ?  Should  he  not  rather  pity  than  despise  the  villain, 
who  must  bear  the  hisses  and  the  jeering  of  the  crowd,  while 
he  assists  the  hero  in  bringing  out  the  thought  which  the  play 
was  intended  to  teach  ? 

None  of  us  intended  to  take  the  part  of  the  drunkard,  the 
outcast  or  the  villain  in  the  great  drama  of  life.  Visions  of 
nobility,  fame  and  success,  colored  by  the  individuality  of  each, 
were  the  youthful  anticipations  of  every  one  of  us.  If,  how- 
ever, instead  of  reaching  a  place  of  honor,  we  have  found  our- 
selves in  the  gutter,  if  obscurity  instead  of  fame  has  been  our 


LOVE,    THE    ONLY    RELIGION.  69 

lot ;  if  instead  of  a  position  of  trust  we  have  ende.1  our  career 
in  a  prison;  these  things  ought  to  excite  pity  rather  than  con- 
tempt, and  ought  to  quicken  rather  than  deaden  our  love  for 
each  other. 

History  is,  in  a  sentence,  the  word  of  God  to  man.  Each 
generation  is  a  written  page  in  this  sacred  book.  Every  man, 
good  or  bad,  high  or  low,  refined  or  depraved,  has  helped  to 
write  this  history.  Some  have  done  it  in  tears,  others  in  joy, 
some  in  peace,  others  in  tribulation,  some  surrounded  by  the 
cheers  of  a  happy  home,  others  in  the  dingy,  lonesome  prison 
cell;  some  have  passed  their  lives  serenely,  with  the  peace 
that  this  world  can  neither  give  nor  take  away,  led  by  the  spirit 
of  God ;  others  have  been  tossed  and  tumbled  by  the  billows 
of  discord,  envy  and  hatred. 

Some  have  been  fanned  by  the  cool  breezes  of  good  will 
and  love  towards  all  men ;  while  others  have  been  scorched 
and  withered  by  the  passions  of  lust  and  greed.  But  all  have 
helped  to  write  the  pages  of  history  which  written  or  unwritten 
by  the  hand  of  man,  have  brought  to  the  world  all  the  knowl- 
edge it  now  possesses.  If  circumstances  have  determined  ibr 
some  to  take  the  harder  part  in  this  drama  of  life,  shall  we 
not  pity  rather  than  hate  them  ?  Can  we  not  love  them,  rather 
than  despise  them  ?  Let  us  believe  that  God  not  only  some- 
times overrules  the  wickedness  of  man  and  turns  it  to  the 
betterment  of  mankind,  but  that  he  always  does  so;  that  no 
evil  escapes  the  watchful  eye  of  God ;  that  everything  con- 
tributes to  his  kingdom  on  earth.  By  the  aid  of  some  such 
view  as  this  we  can  find  it  possible  to  love  all  men ;  to  love 
.the  man  who  hates  us ;  to  love  the  degraded  man ;  to  love  the 
one  whose  ways  seem  to  us  evil,  and  only  evil. 

At  least  we  can  be  sure  of  this  much,  that  unless  we  love 
mankind,  it  will  profit  us  nothing  to  bestow  all  our  goods  to 
feed  the  poor  or  give  our  bodies  to  be  burned.  We  may  exalt 
faith  as  a  Christian  virtue,  and  put  hope  on  a  high  pedestal  of 
honor  as  a  Christian  grace,  but  we  ought  always  to  remember 
that  love  is  the  greatest,  if  not  the  only,  essential  Christian 
virtue. 


FOLLOWING  THE  MASTER. 


"  He  Becometh  of  no  Reputation.     He  Eateth  With  Publicans 
and  Sinners." 


questions  lie  before  me  this  morning  which 
I  propose  to  answer  in  the  near  future,  the  first  of 
which  I  will  answer  in  part  at  this  time.  The 
questions  are  all  important  ones,  and  I  have  been 
expecting  that  some  one  would  ask  them  before  this.  I  will 
read  some  of  them  :  u  What  practical  good  could  possibly 
arise  from  Christian  ministers  visiting  places  of  depravity  T 
shame  and  debauchery  ? "  a  Would  such  visits  be  likely  to 
reform  such  places  ? "  u  Would  not  the  reputation  of  the 
minister  suffer  more  than  would  be  warranted  by  the  good  he 
could  do?" 

Each  one  of  these  questions  has  several  sermons  wrapped 
up  in  it,  but  I  shall  be  obliged  to  treat  them  in  a  general  way, 
only.  In  the  first  place,  personal  observation  of  these  places 
is  the  only  way  to  find  out  what  actually  occurs.  The  people 
who  are  doing  the  most  talking  about  such  places  are  the  very 
ones  that  know  the  least  about  them.  Hearsay  is  very  mis- 
leading in  these  matters,  as  well  as  in  all  other  matters. 
Since  I  have  come  to  a  little  personal  knowledge  of  the 
people  we  call  depraved,  and  the  places  we  call  wicked,  I 
realize  how  ridiculous  I  must  have  seemed  to  some  of  the 
knowing  ones  of  my  congregation,  in  trying  to  expound  and 
correct  these  evils  as  I  used  to  do  in  my  pulpit. 

I  had  relied  on  hearsay.  I  had  read  some  books,  talked 
with  people  who  had  the  reputation  of  knowing,  and  had 


FOLLOWING    THE    MASTER.  71 

succeeded  in  getting  a  very  warped  and  inadequate  notion  of 
the  facts.  I  must  have  made  myself  especially  absurd  to  the 
sophisticated  part  of  my  audiences  in  attempting  to  locate  the 
blame  in  all  these  matters.  By  visiting  and  getting  confiden- 
tial relations  to  the  saloons,  gambling  places  and  houses  of 
prostitution,  I  have  discovered  that  many  more  people  are 
involved  in  this  sort  of  business  than  I  realized  before,  or 
would  have  believed,  if  I  had  been  told. 

The  real  owners  of  the  majority  of  these  places  are  men 
of  wealth,  influence  and  respectability.  Some  of  these  men 
are  prominent  in  church  and  benevolent  enterprises.  And 
yet  they  rent  their  property  for  these  purposes.  In  some  cases 
they  collect  the  money  personally,  though  they  generally  have 
shame  enough  left  to  employ  an  agent  to  do  their  dirty  work. 

Let  us  look  this  matter  squarely  in  the  face.  A  bad  man 
or  a  bad  woman  engaged  in  a  bad  business  must  have  a  place 
to  operate  in.  They  find  other  men  and  women  standing 
ready  to  furnish  them  a  place  if  only  they  are  willing  to  pay 
their  price.  These  men  and  women  who  furnish  the  places 
know  exactly  what  they  are  being  used  for.  They  get  more 
for  this  use  of  their  property  than  they  would  for  any 
legitimate  purpose.  Almost  everybody  but  reformers  know 
this  perfectly  well. 

Again,  bad  men  and  women,  in  order  to  carry  on  a  bad 
business,  must  have  patrons.  There  must  be  a  large  number 
of  other  men  and  women  who  have  money  and  who  deliber- 
ately choose  to  spend  their  money  in  this  way.  These  people 
are  to  be  found  in  every  congregation,  in  every  assembly,  and 
alas,  in  nearly  every  home. 

Again,  bad  men  and  women,  in  order  to  carry  on  a  bad 
business  publicly,  must  have  the  consent,  or  at  least,  the  tacit 
approval  of  the  authorities.  The  authorities  of  all  ages,  of 
all  countries  and  of  all  cities  have  found  it  practically  impos- 
sible to  exterminate  the  three  vices  alluded  to,  i.  e.,  drunken- 
ness, gambling  and  prostitution.  In  some  form  or  other  they 


72  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

have  existed  in  all  places  from  time  immemorial,  sometimes 
legalized,  sometimes  evading  or  defying  the  law.  One  set  of 
men  frame  these  prohibitions  and  then  hand  them  over  to 
another  set  of  men  to  enforce.  The  executors  of  these  laws 
invariably  find  that  they  can  only  drive  such  parties  into 
secrecy,  but  can  not  actually  prohibit  them.  The  authorities 
then  do  the  best  they  can  to  adjust  themselves  to  the  situation. 
Compromises  follow,  which  result  in  setting  aside  a  portion  of 
the  letter  of  the  law.  These  bad  practices  are  allowed  under 
certain  limitations.  These  allowances  soon  come  to  be  regarded 
by  the  offenders  as  their  rights,  as  exactly  defining  what  is 
expected  of  them.  What  the  law  allows  them  to  do  comes  to 
these  people  to  take  the  place  of  conscience,  as  indeed  it  does 
to  many  other  people. 

Now  in  view  of  all  this,  the  co-operation  of  property 
owners,  the  patronage  of  the  pleasure  seekers,  the  indulgence 
and  inability  of  the  authorities,  we  discover  that  the  so-called 
offender  is  only  one  of  many  in  an  unbroken  chain  of  partici- 
pating men  and  women.  I  should  never  have  known  this  or 
even  mistrusted  it,  in  all  of  its  startling  realities,  had  I  not 
visited  these  places  myself.  And  as  my  acquaintance  increases 
with  these  places  and  people,  my  inability  to  fix  the  blame 
definitely  also  increases.  What  a  sorry  figure  I  must  have  cut 
in  those  days  when  I  used  to  make  orations  on  these  subjects, 
pointing  out  the  culprits  with  my  forefinger  to  large  audiences, 
when  the  great  majority  of  those  who  listened  to  me  knew 
how  perfectly  unjust  and  senseless  my  words  were. 

This  is  one  reason  why  I  would  have  the  ministers  become 
familiar  with  these  places.  They  would  know  then  exactly 
what  they  are  talking  about,  and  would  be  better  able  to  com- 
mand the  respect  and  following  of  their  audiences.  This  is 
work  that  each  minister  would  be  obliged  to  do  for  himself, 
in  his  own  way. 

In  the  second  place,  if  it  was  known  to  the  thousand  and 
one  u  silent  partners  "  in  questionable  enterprises,  that  there 


FOLLOWING    THE    MASTER.  73 

were  in  this  city  eighty  ministers  continually  visiting  their 
secret  sources  of  revenue,  becoming  conversant  with  every 
detail  of  each  enterprise,  fixing  the  responsibility  where  it 
belongs,  there  would  be  a  hustling  out  and  cleaning  up  in  the 
byways  in  our  city,  such  as  can  never  be  accomplished  in  any 
other  way.  No  public  outcry  need  be  made,  just  quietly  going 
in  and  out  of  these  places,  not  as  an  enemy  or  spy,  but  like 
the  Master,  a  friend  to  all.  He  had  the  reputation  of  being  a 
friend  to  publicans  and  sinners;  so  ought  his  ministers  to 
have.  But  through  it  all,  the  minister  ought  to,  in  a  friendly 
manner,  show  that  he  knows  all  their  secrets,  courteously 
facing  each  one  with  the  facts,  showing  all  their  true  relation 
to  each  other  and  the  city. 

Gould  any  man,  after  he  knew  that  his  pastor  was  perfectly 
familiar  with  his  financial  relations  to  secret  places  of  sin  and 
vice,  have  the  nerve  to  accept  official  relations  to  the  church, 
and  try  to  palm  himself  off  as  an  exemplary  man  ?  I  think 
not.  He  would  either  withdraw  such  pretentions  and  take  his 
true  relations  to  society,  or  he  would  reform  his  practices. 
His  double  life  would  be  impossible.  He  would  not  dare  to 
insult  the  church  by  offering  it  money  he  had  collected  from 
places  of  vice,  if  he  supposed  his  pastor  knew  he  was  commit- 
ting a  sacrilege.  The  ignorance  of  his  pastor  concerning  such 
matters  is  his  safety.  Hypocrisy  of  this  sort  would  not  be 
attempted  if  his  pastor  was  really  doing  the  work  of  a  Chris- 
tian minister. 

This  does  not  mean  that  the  Christian  minister  is  to 
become  a  spy  or  a  detective.  It  only  means  that  if  he  was 
where  he  belonged,  among  the  poor,  the  depraved,  the  outcast, 
he  would,  incidentally  and  unavoidably,  become  acquainted 
with  facts  that  would  revolutionize  society.  He  need  not  hunt 
for  these  facts ;  he  need  only  go  about  his  Master's  business, 
seeking  the  lost  sheep,  making  friends  with  the  publican,  and 
he  would  learn  things  of  greater  worth  to  him  as  a  preacher 
than  could  be  taught  him  by  all  the  theological  universities  in 


74  JREV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

the  world.  The  only  way  to  reach  the  avenues  is  through  the 
alleys.  The  only  way  to  minister  to  the  rich  is  to  become 
ministers  to  the  poor.  The  only  way  to  tear  down  the  strong- 
holds of  arrogancy  and  aristocacy  is  to  become  acquainted 
with  the  hovel  and  brothel.  If  he  would  reform  the  oppressor, 
he  must  find  the  oppressed.  This  is  a  ministry  that  can  not 
be  said  or  written.  It  must  be  done.  Such  a  minister,  like 
Jesus,  may  leave  no  book  or  creed  behind  him,  but  he  is  sure 
to  leave  his  life  behind  him.  Society  does  not  need  any  one 
to  tell  them  the  way.  There  are  already  enough  doing  that. 
What  society  needs  is  some  one  to  show  them  the  way.  The 
way  to  reach  Dives  is  through  Lazarus.  We  can  never  reach 
Lazarus  through  Dives.  Such  a  minister  will  always  find  con- 
solation in  the  words  of  Jesus  when  he  said  :  "  He  that  findeth 
his  life  shall  lose  it ;  and  he  that  loseth  his  life  for  My  sake 
shall  find  it." 


DR.  TALKWELL  AT  HOME. 


"As  Ye  Would  That  Men  Should  do  to  You,  do  Ye  Even  so  to  Them." 


.  TALKWELL'S  new  home  on  North  Third  street 
is  the  scene  of  many  queer  incidents  and  interest- 
ing conversations.  Among  the  many  visitors  who 
call  at  the  reformed  parsonage  are  found  a  liberal 
sprinkling  of  clergymen  from  this  and  adjoining  cities.  With- 
out foreseeing  that  it  would  be  so,  the  doctor's  new  parsonage 
is  rapidly  becoming  quite  an  information  bureau  on  local 
charities  and  public  institutions  of  all  kinds.  With  nothing 
to  bother  him  now  but  the  work  of  the  Master,  the  doctor  is 
fast  acquiring  an  acquaintance  with  the  city,  which  enable? 
him  to  render  practical  service  to  nearly  every  applicant  for 
assistance.  In  other  words,  he  is  just  beginning  to  learn  the 
first  rudiments  of  real  Gospel  ministry. 

As  a  specimen  of  the  conversations  that  are  of  daily  oc- 
currence at  this  home  of  curious  hospitalities,  a  brief  extract 
from  an  interview  between  the  doctor  and  a  visiting  clergy- 
man is  given.  The  doctor  was  found  seated  in  his  library, 
which  is  a  large  room,  three  sides  of  which  are  occupied  with 
plain  book-cases  filled  to  the  top  with  books  calculated  to 
interest  and  instruct  the  uneducated  classes.  In  the  middle 
of  the  room  a  large,  bare  reading  table,  with  pen  and  ink  for 
writing.  A  few  wood-bottom  chairs  complete  the  furniture  of 
the  room. 

A  little  girl  had  just  called  at  the  parsonage  to  get  a  pic- 
ture book  for  a  sick  brother  at  home  that  the  doctor  had 
visited  the  day  before.  He  was  in  the  act  of  selecting  the 


76  REV.     TALKWEU7S     SKETCHES. 

book  when  a  visitor  was  announced.  After  the  usual  saluta- 
tions, he  said : 

"I  am  the  pastor  of  the church  of  Zanesville.  I 

have  heard  a  great  deal  about  your  new  parsonage.  I  could 
not  believe  that  any  rational  man  would  undertake  to  do  what 
I  have  heard  concerning  your  enterprise.  I  have  come  to 
learn  for  myself  how  much  truth  there  is  in  the  reports.  If 
you  do  not  object.  1  would  like  to  ask  you  a  few  questions." 

"Certainly  not." 

"Well,  to  begin  with,  what  is  it  exactly  that  you  have 
attempted  to  do  in  moving  out  of  an  elegant  parsonage,  lo- 
cated on  a  fashionable  avenue,  and  establishing  yourself  in 
such  a  home  as  this?" 

"  I  have  attempted,"  replied  the  doctor.  u  simply  this, 
that  if  Jesus  Christ  were  to  call  at  my  door,  with  no  xplace 
to  lay  his  head  and  no  money  to  pay  for  such  a  place,  I 
should  not  be  obliged  to  drive  him  out  in  the  street.  In  my 
former  parsonage  I  would  have  been  obliged  to  do  so,  and  my 
excuses  were  many  and  ample.  Not  that  my  former  parsonage 
was  any  different  than  the  average  parsonage  or  the  average  so- 
called  Christian  home.  But  the  idea  of  a  tramp  or  unknown 
man  or  woman  eating  at  my  table,  sleeping  in  one  of  my  beds  or 
using  my  bath  room,  was  absolutely  preposterous  in  those  days. 
My  women  would  have  been  shocked  beyond  measure  and  T 
should  have  regarded  it  as  a  very  unsafe  experiment,  as  indeed 
it  would  have  been.  But  now  and  here,  with  nothing  to  tempt 
people  to  steal,  and  yet  entirely  comfortable,  nothing  too  nice 
for  the  wayfaring  man  and  yet  absolutely  clean,  I  can  at  least- 
take  one  step  towards  following  the  advice  of  Jesus,  when  he 
said:  'I  was  hungry  and  ye  fed  me,  naked  and  ye  clothed 
me,  a  stranger,  and  ye  took  me  in.'  r 

w' But,  doctor,"  replied  the  clergyman,  u  is  not  your  gen- 
erosity abused?  Are  you  not  overwhelmed  with  tramps  and 
mendicants?" 

u  No,  I  am  not.     I  have  room  to  spare  all    the  time.     I 


DR.    TALKWELL    AT    HOME.  77 

expected  the  trouble  of  which  you  speak.  I  had  no  idea 
how  it  would  work  until  I  tried  it.  If  people  would  only  have 
faith  enough  in  Jesus  to  just  simply  trust  the  experiment  of 
following  his  precepts  they  would  not  find  them  to  work  as 
disastrously  as  they  expect.  Now  this  is  the  way  true  hospi- 
tality works.  There  is  nothing  that  an  unworthy  man  or 
woman  dreads  so  much  as  acquaintance,  or  close  scrutiny  of 
any  kind.  It  frightens  them  to  invite  them  in  the  house  and 
talk  to  them.  Their  deeds  are  evil  and  they  love  darkness. 
To  feed  them  on  the  back  porch  like  a  dog,  or  to  give  them  a 
ticket  to  lodge  with  a  herd  of  tramps  like  themselves,  is  pre- 
cisely the  treatment  they  desire.  To  be  treated  as  if  they 
were  men  and  women  scares  them,  terrifies  them.  To  be 
asked  their  name,  their  business,  to  be  proffered  friendship, 
fraternity  and  brotherly  kindness,  is  just  what  they  do  not 
desire  and  will  not  tolerate.  They  will  get  away  from  such  a 
house  as  quickly  as  possible  and  will  never  call  again. 

;<  But  the  worthy  ones,  the  ones  in  real  distress,  who  have 
nothing  to  hide,  desire  acquaintance,  long  for  sympathy  and 
communion.  To  turn  such  a  one  away  from  your  door  with  a 
meal  ticket  or  an  order  to  sleep  in  a  lodging  house  is  as  cruel 
as  it  is  un-Christ-like.  He  has  asked  for  a  fish  and  we  have 
given  him  a  scorpion ;  he  has  asked  for  bread  and  we  have 
given  him  a  stone.  We  have  denied  him  the  very  thing  he 
needs  most,  wishes  most — fraternity,  sympathy,  advice. 

"  If  all  the  so-called  Christian  homes  in  this  city  were 
doing  this,  what  a  world  of  touching  pathos  and  helpless  suf- 
fering would  be  uncovered.  If  even  one  hundred  homes  were 
doing  it  they  would  not  find  themselves  troubled  with  a  guest 
more  than  once  a  week.  But  if  this  is  to  be  the  only  home  of 
the  kind  in  so  large  a  city  as  this,  where  a  true  fraternity  and 
hospitality  is  offered  to  the  stranger,  I  should  not  be  at  all  sur- 
prised to  find  myself  embarrassed  at  times  to  know  what  to 
do,  but  as  yet  I  have  not  found  it  so." 


78  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHEvS. 

"  How  many  guests  have  you  at  present?"  asked  the 
clergyman. 

u  Six  men  and  two  women,  and  I  would  be  very  glad  if  I 
had  time  to  stop  here  and  tell  you  their  stories,  which  have 
been  fully  verified  by  the  best  of  evidence.  But  no  guest 
stays  long.  Sometimes  a  single  meal  or  day,  and  he  is  gone 
on  his  way  rejoicing." 

u  Do  you  not  find  it  expensive  to  feed  and  house  so  many 
people  ? " 

u  With  the  economy  and  frugality  we  are  now  practicing 
(and  we  are  all  of  us  the  better  for  it),  my  running  expenses 
are  less  than  they  used  to  be  in  my  days  of  un-Christ-like 
luxury  and  extravagance,  notwithstanding  we  have  from  six 
to  twelve  guests.  A  cheap  stew  or  soup  bone,  which  will  fur- 
nish ample  nourishment  for  fifteen  people,  costs  less  than  the 
porterhouse  steak  or  mutton  chop  used  to,  for  my  family  of 
five." 

ik  But  your  other  expenses  ?     How  do  you  manage  them  ? " 

u  We  have  no  other  expenses  to  speak  of.  We  keep  no 
servants.  My  daughters  take  care  of  their  own  rooms  and  are 
enjoying  it  immensely.  The  guests  take  care  of  their  own 
rooms  and  are  glad  to  do  so.  We  have  a  laundry  in  the  base- 
ment, entirely  operated  by  guests  under  the  superintendence 
of  my  wife.  The  floors  are  frequently  scrubbed  and  we  are 
much  cleaner  than  we  used  to  be  in  our  days  of  carpets,  cur- 
tains, upholstered  furniture,  draperies,  and  the  many  other 
unsanitary  fixtures  of  the  elegant  unwholesomeness  of  our 
former  home.  The  fact  is,  we  could  do  a  great  deal  more 
work  if  we  had  it  to  do,  for  you  have  no  idea  what  a  relief  it 
is  to  put  away  the  complex  fussiness  of  the  world,  the  flesh 
and  the  devil." 

"  What  class  of  women  apply  for  assistance  ?  " 

"  Oh,  a  great  many  kinds.  Sometimes,  foolish  girls,  lured 
into  the  city  by  fiendish  women  for  unholy  purposes;  some- 


DR.    TALKWELL    AT    HOME.  79 

times  discharged  servant  girls,  who  have  no  friends  in  this 
city;  stranded  women,  attempting  to  travel  without  sufficient 
means,  who  find  themselves  unable  to  go  farther.  But,  of 
course,  I  will  never  see  but  a  very  small  per  cent,  of  those 
who  are  perishing  for  Christian  fraternity. 

Of  the  men,  the  most  numerous  and  worthy  class  are  the 
boys  and  young  men  who  drift  into  this  city  every  day  in  search 
of  employment.  A  large  number  of  these  are  unsuccessful  and 
are  finally  arrested  as  loiterers,  vagrants,  or  for  begging,  and 
are  quickly  converted  into  criminals.  There  never  was  greater 
need  for  Christian  ministry  than  in  these  cases.  The  degrada- 
tion of  this  large  and  constantly  increasing  class  of  men  and 
boys  is  a  shame  to  our  civilization,  and  a  shame  to  those  who 
profess  to  be  Christian  ministers.  One-tenth  of  the  money 
sent  out  of  this  city  every  year  for  foreign  missions  to  coun- 
tries where  there  is  not  one-hundredth  part  the  need  of  Chris- 
tian ministry  as  there  is  here  in  our  own  city ;  one-tenth  of 
the  money  and  one-half  of  the  energy  spent  in  raising  it  would 
turn  this  stream  of  misguided  but  innocent  men  and  women 
from  ruination  into  paths  of  salvation  and  usefulness.  It  is 
scarcely  less  than  a  crime  against  humanity  for  those  who 
pretend  to  be  following  Jesus  to  spend  their  time  and  strength 
in  raising  money  for  foreign  missions,  when  degradation 
unknown  in  foreign  lands  lies  at  our  very  doors.  It  is  simply 
trying  to  pull  the  mote  out  of  our  brother's  eye,  while  the 
beam  is  in  our  own." 

uDo  you  consider  yourself  a  follower  of  Tolstoi?" 

uNo,  I  do  not,  although  I  am  not  worthy  to  unlatch  one 
of  his  shoes.  If  I  understand  Tolstoi  he  objects  to  the  whole 
trend  of  modern  civilization,  and  seeks  to  persuade  all  men  to 
resume  primitive  methods  of  living. 

"  I  believe  it  to  be  both  futile  and  undesirable  to  under- 
take to  turn  back  the  wheels  of  time.  I  believe  in  the  trend 


80  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

of  modern  civilization.     I  believe  it  is  bringing  in  God's  king- 
dom on  earth  in  his  own  way  and  in  his  own  time. 

"  But  in  the  meantime  many  innocent  and  feeble  ones  are 
crushed.  This  is  inevitable.  It  is  simply  the  operation  of  the 
law  of  the  '  survival  of  the  fittest.'  For  this  class  the  Chris- 
tian ministry  was  instituted.  To  this  class  the  Christian  min- 
ister was  sent.  He  has  no  business  whatever  with  the  pros- 
perous and  the  satisfied.  This  is  exactly  what  Jesus  meant 
when  he  said  '  those  that  are  well  need  no  physician.' " 


REAL  CHRISTIAN  WORK. 


«•  For  the  Son  of  Man  is  Come  to  Save  That  Which  is  Lost." 


OW  think  ye?  If  a  man  have  a  hundred  sheep,  and 
one  of  them  be  gone  astray,  doth  he  not  leave  the 
ninety  and  nine,  and  goeth  into  the  mountains,  and 
seeketh  that  sheep  which  is  gone  astray  ? 

And  if  so  be  that  he  find  it,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  he  re- 
joiceth  more  of  that  sheep  than  of  the  ninety  and  nine  which 
went  not  astray." 

In  our  last  week's  report  of  Dr.  TalkwelFs  affairs  we 
left  him  at  home  in  the  midst  of  an  interview  with  a  visit- 
ing clergyman.  The  visitor  was  plying  the  doctor  with  ques- 
tions about  his  views  and  plans  of  Christian  ministry.  We 
will  take  up  the  thread  of  conversation  where  it  was  dropped. 

The  clergyman  asked  :  "  How  do  the  ones  who  need  assist- 
ance learn  of  your  hospitable  home  ? " 

"  The  majority  of  those  whom  I  assist  are  discovered  by 
me  in  my  other  ministrations.  I  spend  my  time  among  the 
class  most  likely  to  need  me,  and  find  them  in  a  natural  way. 
You  must  remember  that  my  home  is  not  a  public  institution. 
It  is  simply  a  private  but  Christian  home;  a  home  where 
Christian  hospitality  is  practicable.  The  churches  are  already 
relying  too  much  upon  public  institutions  for  such  things. 
What  we  need  is  not  more  institutions,  but  more  hospitable 
homes." 

u  Do  I  understand  you  to  be  opposed  to  public  institu- 
tions ? " 


82  REV.    TALK  WELL'S    .SKETCHES. 

"No.  Institutions  have  their  function,  but  they  can  never 
be  made  to  do  the  work  of  a  Christian  minister.  Food  and  rai- 
ment these  places  can  and  do  supply,  but  not  Christian  frater- 
nity. The  superintendent  may  be  just  and  faithful,  and  the 
inmate  may  be  obedient  and  respectful,  but  the  relation  of 
keeper  and  inmate  remains  a  fact.  Brotherhood  and  fraternity 
do  not  grow  here.  The  home  is  the  only  hope  of  real  Christian- 
ity. The  public  institution  is  at  best  a  temporary  makeshift, 
which  prevents  something  worse  happening,  that's  all.  You 
can  not  Christianize  people  in  job  lots,  or  fraternize  them  in 
straight  rows.  The  freedom  and  spontaniety  of  the  home  is 
the  only  place  where  love  will  thrive.  'Be  it  ever  so  humble 
there's  no  place  like  home.' ' 

u  But,"  continued  the  clergyman  "  do  not  you  keep  sta- 
tistics of  your  work  here  or  some  kind  of  a  record  of  your 
guests,  like  public  institutions  ?  " 

u  No,  I  do  not.  It  is  all  right  for  public  institutions  to 
keep  their  statistics,  I  suppose,  but  statistics  of  Christian 
work  is  simply  brag,  nothing  less.  Just  as  if  real  Christian 
work  could  be  counted  and  tabulated  and  added  up  and  dis- 
played in  ornamental  type,  and  finally  read  out  loud  to  admir- 
ing audiences.  Why,  it  is  worse  than  brag,  it  is  sacrilege.  I 
would  as  soon  think  of  making  statistics  of  my  domestic  frater- 
nities and  felicities  and  Haunting  them  in  public  places  as  to 
keep  record  of  Christian  work.  Statistics  of  so-called  Chris- 
tian work  is  only  one  phase  of  that  denominational  rivalry 
that  has  been  the  curse  of  modern  civilization  so  long." 

"  When  and  how  do  you  prepare  your  sermons  ?" 

u  I  do  not  prepare  or  preach  any  sermons.  I  am  making 
a  careful  investigation  into  the  various  institutions  and  enter- 
prises, high  and  low,  good  and  bad,  within  the  limits  of  our 
city.  I  am  trying  to  become  acquainted  with  the  innerness  of 
these  things.  I  report  each  Sunday  morning  to  the  people 
what  I  have  learned.  I  am  simply  trying  to  find  out  for  my- 
self the  exact  state  of  things  in  the  city  and  tell  it  to  my  con- 
gregation. 


REAJU    CHRISTIAN    WORK.  83 

u  I  believe  that  the  only  reform  needed  is  to  turn  on  the 
light.  The  thing  needed  more  than  any  other  thing  in  this 
city  is  for  some  one  who  can  command  the  attention  of  the 
people  to  learn  the  facts  by  personal  observation,  then  give 
them  to  the  public.  This  is  the  business  of  the  preacher.  This 
is  exactly  what  the  prophet  of  Israel  used  to  do.  He  was  al- 
ways on  the  side  of  the  oppressed,  the  downtrodden,  the  out- 
cast. I  find  this  much  more  instructive  and  edifying  to  my 
people  than  the  exploits  of  the  ancient  Jews  or  the  theologi- 
cal dissertations  of  Paul.  What  I  have  been  preaching  for  all 
these  years,  with  nothing  to  preach  about,  I  confess  I  can  hard- 
ly understand  now." 

The  clergyman  began  to  get  a  little  uneasy  at  the  turn  the 
conversation  had  taken,  and  anxious  to  change  the  subject,  in- 
terrupted with  a  question. 

"  Do  you  find  the  degradation  in  this  city  as  great  as  you 
expected  ?" 

"  No,  I  do  not.  Since  I  have  come  to  understand  these 
people  and  have  become  partially  able  to  look  at  things  from 
their  standpoint,  I  find  that  conscious,  deliberate  wrong  doing 
is  about  evenly  distributed  in  all  strata  of  society.  I  do  not 
believe  that  there  is  any  more  real  sinning  among  the  socalled 
low  classes  than  among  the  socalled  upper  classes." 

"  Do  the  people  who  stop  with  you  enjoy  entire  equality 
with  your  family?" 

"  Certainly.  Anything  short  of  that  would  be  adding 
insult  to  injury.  We  all  eat  at  the  same  table,  spend  our  eve- 
nings in  the  same  general  sitting  room.  We  have  singing  and 
reading,  and  they  are  in  every  sense  of  the  word  our  guests. 
There  is  not  so  much  difference  in  people  after  all.  I  find 
just  as  many  intelligent  people,  just  as  many  interesting 
people,  just  as  many  high-minded  people  among  the  friendless 
and  homeless  ones  as  among  any  other  class.  The  differences 
are  very  superficial  indeed.  They  consist  principally  in  clean 
hands,  neckties,  polished  shoes,  and  the  thousand  and  one 


84  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

polite  insincerities  commonly  called  culture.  At  heart  the 
different  strata  of  society  will  average  up  about  the  same. 
The  defenseless  ones  are  oftener  exposed  than  the  ones  who 
have  money  or  influence.  This  gives  u  s  the  impression  that 
their  offenses  are  more  common. 

u  Their  vices  are  of  a  more  conspicuous  character,  partly 
because  they  do  not  know  how  to  conceal  them,  and  partly 
because  they  do  not  care  to  do  so.  What  we  call  bravado  in 
them  is  so  often  desperation  —  complete  discouragement. 

u  A  man  unsuccessful  in  business,  surrounded  by  squalor 
and  discouragement,  unsteady  work,  poor  wages,  poor  habita- 
tion, unwholesome,  uninspiring  surroundings,  is  apt  to  be  con- 
tinually doing  things  forbidden  by  society,  even  though  he 
has  no  immoral  intentions.  It  is  from  this  class  that  the 
majority  of  the  so-called  criminals  come.  There  are  many 
reasons  for  this  besides  their  absence  of  moral  conviction. 
Their  lives  are  necessarily  more  open,  their  vices  more  con- 
spicuous, their  pleasures  more  subject  to  criticism ;  in  shorty 
their  ^vhole  lives  are  under  the  scrutiny  of  the  policeman. 

"  A  man  on  the  avenue  gets  drunk.  He  is  sent  home  in 
a  carriage.  A  man  in  the  alley  gets  drunk.  He  is  sent  to 
the  city  prison  in  the  patrol.  Two  women  on  the  avenue 
have  a  falling  out;  two  polite  but  angry  women  cease  to  speak 
to  each  other  forever.  Two  women  in  the  alley  have  a  falling 
out ;  the  affair  is  settled  in  police  court. 

u  A  domestic  infelicity  occurs  on  the  avenue  in  which 
some  one's  marital  rights  have  been  strained.  A  choice  tid-bit 
for  the  gossips  is  the  consequence  —  some  heartache,  perhaps, 
nothing  more.  The  same  thing  happens  in  the  alley,  and  the 
bums  in  the  lobby  of  the  police  court  applaud  the  judge  as 
he  sentences  a  man  or  woman  —  or  both  —  to  the  workhouse. 

"  An  altercation  occurs  between  two  fast  swells  in  a  first- 
class  saloon  or  hotel.  Chandeliers  are  broken,  cut  glass 
shivered,  blood  flows.  The  thing  is  hushed  up.  If  it  gets  into 
print  at  all  no  names  are  mentioned. 


REAL    CHRISTIAN    WORK.  85 

"  Two  denizens  of  the  alley  differ  in  Casey's  saloon.  A 
heavy  beer  glass  is  in  the  hand  of  each.  A  row  ensues ;  an 
arrest  is  made.  Two  families  are  deprived  of  support  for  one 
or  two  months  while  the  men  serve  out  their  sentences.  And 
so  the  list  might  be  drawn  out  indefinitely.  These  people  do 
on  their  plane  exactly  what  the  upper  classes  do  on  their 
plane. 

"  What  these  people  need  more  than  anything  else  is 
justice,  simply  justice.  Nothing  could  be  devised,  more 
unfair,  more  unjust  than  the  way  we  are  treating  these 
people  Their  homes  are  invaded  by  the  chattel  mortgage 
fiend,  the  conscienceless  pawnbroker,  the  exacting  installment 
man,  the  tyrannical  policeman,  the  scheming  peddler,  the 
pitiless  sheriff,  the  domineering  landlord  and  the  snooping 
detective.  Considering  where  they  live,  they  pay  the  highest 
rent.  When  they  work  they  do  the  meanest  work  and  get  the 
least  pay.  They  are  charged  ten  times  the  legal  rate  of  inter- 
est if  they  borrow  money. 

"Their  complaints  we  call  anarchy,  their  cries  of  distress 
we  call  ingratitude.  We  laugh  at  their  wretchedness,  are 
shocked  at  their  vulgarity,  we  jest  at  their  ignorance,  and 
their  degradation  is  one  of  the  standard  attractions  of  our  city 
to  idle  sight  seerers  and  curious  visitors.  And  to  rub  it  all  in, 
to  clinch  the  infamy  of  their  environment,  we  send  them 
mawkish  missionaries  to  tell  them  how  bad  they  are,  and 
to  show  them  how  much  superior  we  are  to  them.  And 
to  think  that  I  have  been  ten  years  in  this  city,  a  professed 
minister  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  have  done  nothing  to  lift 
their  burdens  or  defend  them  in  their  helplessness.  I  am 
one  of  those  whom  Jesus  described  when  he  said:  u  For 
they  bind  heavy  burdens  and  grievous  to  be  borne,  and  lay 
them  on  men's  shoulders;  but  they  themselves  will  not  move 
them  with  one  of  their  fingers." 


UNIVERSITY 


A  CONUNDRUM  FOR  CHRISTIANS. 


"  He  That  Is  Without  Sin,  Let  Him  Cast  The  First  Stone. 


JND  he  said  unto  her,  'Neither  do  I  condemn  thee ;  go 
thy  way  and  sin  no  more." 

During  Dr  Talkwell's  report  last  Sunday,  he  said: 
I  have  a  problem  for  you,  a  conundrum  in  social 
ethics,  which  I  confess,  I  am  not  able  to  answer  satisfactorily 
to  myself.  I  am  going  to  give  you  a  bit  of  real  history,  every 
word  of  which  I  can  vouch  for  as  being  the  truth.  As  I  pro- 
ceed with  this  story  I  wish  you  each  and  all  to  keep  asking 
yourselves  this  question,  "  Who  is  to  blame?" 

Some  time  since  in  one  of  my  midnight  rounds  of  this 
city,  guided  by  a  policeman,  I  came  across  a  young  girl  in  a 
house  of  shame,  who  attracted  my  attention.  She  had  none  of 
the  airs  of  the  kind  of  people  to  which  she  belonged.  She  was 
modest,  reticent,  comely,  of  genteel  manners,  used  good  Eng- 
lish, and  in  no  way  betrayed  the  usual  vulgar  tastes  or  habits 
which  are  common  in  such  places.  I  followed  up  the  acquaint- 
ance begun  that  dark  stormy  night.  Little  by  little  she  re- 
vealed to  me  her  history.  I  have  taken  the  pains  to  verify 
every  detail  of  her  story  before  giving  it  to  you.  I  found  her 
words  only  too  true. 

Two  years  ago  she  was  an  innocent,  happy  girl,  living  in 
a  small  town  fifty  miles  from  this  city.  Her  mother  suddenly 
died,  leaving  her  to  the  care  of  a  father,  who  to  say  the  least, 
was  no  companion  or  guide  to  his  impulsive  and  romantic 
daughter.  She  was  unhappy  at  home.  By  the  advice  of  her 
lover,  and  with  the  consent  of  her  father,  she  accepted  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  in  this  city,  at  a  very  small  salary. 


A    CONUNDRUM    FOR    CHRISTIANS.  87 

• 

For  a  time  things  went  on  smoothly  and  she  was  very 
happy.  She  knew  no  one  in  the  city  except  her  lover,  but  he 
was  so  kind  and  attentive  that  she  wished  for  nothing  more. 
Her  salary  was  only  $4  per  week,  but  by  economy  and  ingen- 
uity, she  succeeded  in  keeping  up  appearances.  Small  gifts 
from  her  lover,  which  were  at  first  refused  and  afterwards  re- 
luctantly accepted,  helped  her  over  some  hard  places.  They 
were  about  to  be  married.  The  wedding  day  was  fixed.  Her 
daily  toil  behind  the  counter  and  nightly  vigils  in  a  dingy, 
cheerless  bedroom  were  about  to  come  to  an  end. 

A  member  of  the  firm  for  which  her  lover  worked  was 
discovered  to  be  a  defaulter  for  a  large  sum  of  money.  He  was 
connected  with  a  good  family  and  the  matter  was  hushed  up, 
but  the  business  went  to  the  wall.  Her  lover's  position  was 
gone,  together  with  the  small  earnings  he  had  been  saving  up. 
The  marriage  had  to  be  postponed.  But  alas,  it  could  not  be 
postponed.  The  impetuousity  of  lovers  restrained  by  financial 
impediments  claimed  another1  victim  to  its  ever  increasing 
martyrdom.  Harassed  by  day,  haunted  by  night,  her  strength 
finally  gave  way,  and  she  lost  her  position.  They  were  practi- 
cally beggars,  but  agreed  that  they  could  not  be  married  yet. 
The  word  had  already  gone  to  their  friends  that  they  were 
married.  They  let  it  go  so. 

In  sheer  desperation  he  left  the  city  one  night  to  find 
work.  He  did  not  tell  her  he  was  going,  and  she  supposed  he 
had  deserted  her  in  her  shame.  Sickness  detained  him  many 
weeks.  She  sought  to  hide  her  shame  in  a  place  where  all 
pretty  girls  are  made  welcome.  In  reputation,  at  least,  she 
quickly  sank  to  the  level  of  a  common  courtesan.  The  mis- 
tress of  the  house  which  she  entered  was  a  peculiar  woman  of 
her  kind,  whom  we  must  stop  to  describe. 

This  woman  had  been  a  widow  three. years.  Her  husband, 
a  hard  working  man,  had  become  involved  in  a  debt  through 
the  perfidy  of  a  near  relative.  This  debt  left  a  large  mortgage 
for  the  widow  to  pay.  She  could  not  pay  it  from  the  farm.  A 


88  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

friend  induced  the  widow  to  keep  a  boarding  house  in  the  city 
as  a  means  of  paying  the  mortgage.  She  tried  it  and  found 
that  she  could  not  make  her  boarding  house  pay  expenses. 
But  her  boarding  house  experience  had  taught  her  one  way 
she  could  pay  off  the  hateful  debt.  Through  ignorance  of  the 
city  she  had  located  in  a  bad  place  for  any  legitimate  business. 
She  had  discovered  that  she  could  rent  rooms  by  the  day  or 
week,  if  no  questions  were  asked;  also  that  she  could  get  very 
high  rent,  especially  of  girls. 

She  gradually  drifted  into  this  way  of  doing,  promising 
herself  to  get  out  of  the  wretched  business  as  soon  as  her  debt 
was  paid.  In  raising  the  price  for  her  rooms,  she  placed  upon 
the  property  the  stigma  that  naturally  belongs  to  such  houses. 
The  landlord  must  be  placated.  He  must  also  have  higher 
rent.  She  consents  to  higher  rent  and  thus  practically 
goes  into  partnership  with  her  landlord  in  the  curious  business 
of  furnishing  a  safe  place  for  sinning  sirens.  She  consoles 
herself  that  her  partner  in  business  is  a  respectable  business 
man,  a  church  man  and  belongs  to  the  best  society;  that  only 
well  behaved  well  dressed  young  men  of  rank  and  respectabi- 
lity visit  her  house;  that  the  police  know  exactly  what  she  is 
doing,  but  find  no  fault  as  long  as  order  is  maintained.  With 
these  and  many  similar  things  she  consoles  herself. 

When  she  met  the  girl,  the  heroine  of  our  story,  it  was  by 
accident.  She  had  known  the  girl  slightly  before  either  of 
them  came  to  the  city  and  had  known  her  family  well.  Find- 
ing her  in  complete  desperation,  poverty  and  physical  pros- 
tration, she  took  her  home  with  her  with  no  intention  to  do  her 
any  ill.  But  the  infamy  of  her  place,  with  its  demoralizing 
surroundings,  soon  wrought  its  work  with  the  haunted  and 
outraged  girl.  With  no  self  respect  to  lose,  with  nothing  but 
sheer  physical  existence  or  suicide  before  her,  she  quickly 
succumbed  to  the  environment.  Her  landlady,  the  widow,  inter- 
posed to  save  her  protege,  but  her  own  moral  stamina  was  gone. 
4w  The  pot  could  not  call  the  kettle  black."  Be  it  said  to  her 


A    CONUNDRUM    FOR    CHRISTIANS.  89 

credit,  however,  she  made  many  futile  attemps  to  undo  the 
the  work  that  she  had  unintentionally  wrought  in  the  poor 
girl.  But  it  was  too  late.  The  girl  could  not  forgive  herself. 
There  was  nothing  left  to  save.  The  lover  returned  to  the  city 
one  day  and  frantically  sought  the  whereabouts  of  the  girl  he 
had  wronged.  By  chance  they  met  one  day  on  the  street.  She 
spurned  him,  refused  to  hear  one  word  of  explanation.  He 
dogged  her  footsteps  and  followed  her  in  horror  to  her  place  of 
shame.  He  entered,  found  the  landlady,  the  widow,  and  a 
stormy  scene  ensued.  He  learned  all — the  horrible  sequel  of 
his  own  act.  He  left  the  house  and  fled  the  city,  horrified  at  the 
whole  ghastly  business,  enlisted  in  the  army,  and  in  a  distant 
tropical  clime  he  is  today  doing  futile  penance  for  sins  he 
never  intended  to  commit. 

This  is  when  I  fouud  her.  This  is  how  I  found  her. 
Crouching  there  in  her  room  alone,  clothed  in  cheap  gaudiness, 
surrounded  by  tawdry  decorations,  in  tearless  open-eyed  an- 
guish, unable  to  cry  or  laugh  or  feel  any  longer.  Complete 
moral  paralysis.  And  yet  through  it  all  one  could  catch 
glimpses  of  the  innocent  girl  that  was,  of  the  refined  woman 
that  was  to  be,  of  the  beautiful  maternity  that  should  have 
been.  Her  last  words  to  me  were,  "  The  only  kind  service  you 
can  render  me  is  to  let  me  alone.  Do  not  waste  your  words, 
or  your  sympathies.  I  am  already  morally  dead,  and  my  body 
will  not  last  much  longer.  Please  do  not  drag  me  from  the 
obscurity  I  have  found.  As  it  is,  no  one  knows  or  cares.  You 
can  do  nothing  but  harm  for  me.  I  am  only  one  of  hundreds. 
It  hurts  me  beyond  endurance  to  treat  me  as  if  I  were  a  lady. 
Please  go  away." 

Now,  what  I  want  to  ask  is,  who  is  to  blame  for  all  this  ? 
Who  is  responsible  ?  Let  me  array  before  you  the  principal 
characters  in  this  little  tragedy  and  ask  you  to  pick  out  the  one 
who  is  most  to  blame.  Let  me  enumerate  them  in  the  order  in 
which  we  have  become  acquainted  with  them.  The  dead  moth- 
er, the  unparental  father,  the  romantic  daughter,  the  impul. 


90  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

sive  but  well  meaning  lover,  the  merchant  who  paid  his  clerk 
only  four  dollars  a  week,  the  defaulter  who  caused  the  failure 
of  the  firm  who  employed  the  lover,  the  merchant's  foreman 
who  discharged  the  sick  girl  without  any  further  interest  in  her, 
the  hard  working  farmer  who  suddenly  died,  the  perfidious  rela- 
tive who  involved  the  widow  in  debt,  the  struggling  widow, 
fighting  against  debt  and  low  prices,  her  influential  city  land- 
lord, willing  to  join  her  in  a  scheme  to  make  money  faster,  the 
society  swells  who  visited  aud  gave  financial  support,  the  con 
senting  city  ofiicials — here  they  are  lined  up  before  this  audi- 
ence, just  before  the  curtain  drops. 

Which  one  shall  we  blame  most?  Shall  we  blame  one 
more  than  the  rest  ?  Shall  we  blame  them  all  ?  Shall  we 
blame  any  of  them?  Did  any  of  them  realize  the  awful 
tragedy  they  were  taking  part  in  ?  Which  of  us,  in  this  vast 
audience,  dare  cast  the  first  stone?  1  dare  not  for  one.  I  will 
tell  you  why.  The  man  who  received  the  rent,  who  owns  the 
property  where  the  greater  part  of  this  pitiful  tragedy  occurred 
who  knew  what  the  place  was  used  for — that  man  was  a  mem- 
ber of  my  former  church  all  the  time  I  was  its  pastor.  While 
he  was  acting  his  part  in  this  cruel  drama  I  was  his  pastor. 
My  tacit  approval  of  his  character  helped  to  maintain  his  re- 
spectability through  it  all.  Part  of  that  rent  money  was  con- 
tributed to  my  salary.  This  accursed  money,  the  price  of  that 
poor  girl's  shame,  helped  to  buy  the  clothes  my  wife  was  wear- 
ing, the  food  my  daughters  were  eating.  God  forgive  me  that 
in  my  ignorance  I,  too,  was  taking  a  part  in  this  pathetic  affair. 
Had  I  been  about  my  Master's  business  during  that  time  in 
stead  of  hobnobbing  with  the  pharisees  of  my  own  church,  my 
part  in  this  wicked  business  would  not,  could  not,  have  hap- 
pened. 


PUBLIC   CHARITIES. 


«'  But  When  Thou  Doest  Alms  Let  Not  Thy  Left  Hand  Know  What 
Thy  Right  Hand  Doeth  That  Thine  Alms  May  Be  in  Secret,'* 


'T  THE  close  of  last  Sunday's  report  Dr.Talkwell  said : 
At  the  approach  of  cold  weath,er  each  year  we 
begin  to  hear  talk  about  public  charities.  Every- 
body has  a  theory  of  his  own.  The  only  thing  that 
any  one  is  sure  of  is  that  all  the  others  are  wrong  and  only 
the  speaker  is  right.  Nearly  every  one  says  that  charities  as 
at  present  dispensed  are  doing  more  harm  than  good  (present 
company  excepted  of  course),  yet  no  one  seems  to  be  able  to 
do  any  more  about  it  than  talk,  talk,  talk.  This  theory  has 
been  exploded ;  that  plan  has  been  tried  and  found  wanting ; 
this  money  has  been  worse  than  wasted ;  that  fund  has  been 
exploited  with  no  results  but  harm,  and  yet  in  the  face  of 
all  these  confessions,  the  public  will  be  again  asked  to  con- 
tribute money,  money,  money,  to  continue  this  annual  farce, 
a  farce  too  foolish  to  be  even  funny. 

As  the  failure  of  organized  charities  seems  to  be  universal, 
including  all  schemes,  secular  or  sacred,  sectarian  or  non- 
sectarian,  we  should  expect  to  find  the  cause  for  the  failure 
to  be  common  to  them  all.  Now,  there  is  one  thing  that  is 
common  to  all  charitable  organizations  and  charity  workers  so 
far  as  I  know,  and  that  is,  a  want  of  personal  acquaintance 
with  the  subjects  of  charity.  I  believe  this  to  be  the  secret  of 
the  failure  of  each  and  every  charity.  They  do  not  know  the 
people  they  are  trying  to  help.  They  are  afraid  to  get  near 


92  REV.    TALKWEIJ7S    SKETCHES. 

enough  to  the  ones  they  are  pretending  to  assist  to  understand 
them.  Their  attitude  toward  them  is  a  mixture  of  fear,  pity, 
contempt  and  curiosity,  rather  than  fraternity  or  friendliness. 
No  one  is  to  blame  for  this,  perhaps,  but  it  has  the  invariable 
effect  of  changing  fish  into  scorpions  and  bread  into  stones. 

Genuine  friendship  must  precede  any  real  charitable  act. 
No  charity  is  possible  between  two  persons  who  have  not  for 
each  other  a  feeling  of  unaffected  interest  and  sympathy.  One 
may  feed  the  other,  but  both  are  degraded  by  the  act.  It  is  one 
thing  to  feed  a  man ;  it  is  another  thing  to  eat  with  a  man.  It  is 
one  thing  to  order  a  family  a  load  of  coal ;  it  is  quite  another 
thing  to  sit  with  them  in  friendly  conversation  and  enjoy 
together  its  gratefuj  warmth  and  flickering  light.  We  may  feed 
animals,  since  no  intercourse  with  them  is  possible,  but  with 
men  and  brothers  we  should  break  bread  together.  At  least 
we  should  be  on  such  terms  with  them  that  such  a  thing 
would  be  agreeable  and  mutually  helpful.  We  may  house 
animals  and  appoint  for  them  a  keeper,  but  we  cannot  pile 
men  up  four  deep  in  lodging  houses  or  herd  them  in  droves 
like  hogs  or  cattle  in  soup  houses,  without  doing  them  more 
harm  than  good.  If  men  are  entitled  to  anything  they  are 
entitled  to  hospitality,  to  courtesy.  Anything  less  than  this 
is  demoralizing  to  the  giver  and  degrading  to  the  recipient. 

Charity  of  any  sort  disassociated  from  actual,  personal 
acquaintance  is  a  boon  to  the  dead  beat,  but  death  to  the 
honest,  virtuous  subject  of  charity.  The  truckling  impostor 
and  the  professional  mendicant  always  like  to  meet  an  undis- 
criminating  giver.  The  two  fit  each  other  exactly.  One  has 
gratified  his  lazy  propensities  and  the  other  has  gratified  his 
vanity.  Both  are  absurd,  one  as  much  as  the  other.  Each 
man's  opportunity  to  do  charitable  work  is  exactly  limited  by 
his  personal  and  intimate  acquaintance  with  those  who  need 
charity.  It  is  generally  believed  that  a  man's  ability  for 
charitable  work  is  measured  by  his  pocketbook.  This  is  not 
true.  No  man  can  do  real  charity  work  by  proxy,  It  is  a 
personal  matter. 


PUBLIC    CHARITIES.  93 

This  is  exactly  where  all  charitable  organizations  have 
always  failed  and  always  must  fail.  True  charity  is  work  that 
can  never  be  organized.  It  is  a  hand  to  hand  work.  It  must 
be  done  as  brothers,  neighbors,  friends  and  daily  associates. 

To  feed  a  drove  of  men  and  women  whose  names  and 
previous  history  are  unknown,  is  not  charity ;  it  is  either 
stupidity  or  cupidity.  Nothing  could  be  more  degrading  to 
the  recipients  of  such  charity  or  damaging  to  the  community 
in  which  it  occurs.  Each  time  it  is  repeated  society  suffers 
and  human  parasitism  is  encouraged.  The  devil  himself 
could  not  contrive  a  better  plan  to  nourish  and  perpetuate 
dangerous  vagabondism  or  to  crush  and  drive  to  despair, 
worthy  poverty. 

If  it  be  true  that  the  people  who  need  or  deserve  charit- 
able assistance  in  any  city  are  practically  strangers  to  the 
people  who  constitute  the  churches  ;  if  this  be  true,  then  it 
is  also  true,  that  the  churches  are  absolutely  unfit  to  do  any 
charitable  work  among  them.  The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to 
get  acquainted  with  these  people.  Get  sympathetic  relations 
to  them ;  enjoy  their  entire  confidence.  No  one  man  or 
woman  can  get  such  relations  to  many  people.  If  the 
churches  were  doing  what  Jesus  expected  his  followers  to  do, 
there  would  be  no  need  for  any  organized  charity.  Each 
follower  of  Jesus  would  know  one  or  more  of  these  people 
and  would  be  rendering  them  all  the  assistance  necessary 
in  an  effective  manner,  which  can  never  be  imitated  by  any 
organization  whatever. 

Rendering  charitable  assistance  is  not  only  a  difficult 
matter  requiring  close  acquaintance,  but  a  delicate  matter 
requiring  intimate  friendship.  Except  in  some  extreme  emer- 
gency, like  sickness  or  providential  calamities,  it  is  rank 
impertinence  for  one  person  to  approach  another  person,  with 
whom  he  is  not  acquainted,  with  any  charity  whatsoever. 
These  people  have  sensibilities  just  like  ours.  They  resent 
what  we  would  resent.  They  are  even  morbidly  sensitive,  (at 


94  REV.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

least  those  who  have  not  been  entirely  debauched  by  such 
procedure). 

To  enter  a  house  with  no  better  pretext  than  to  bring  a 
Christmas  present,  a  loaf  of  bread  or  a  religious  tract  is  a 
breach  of  etiquette  bordering  on  criminal  trespass.  I  wonder 
that  such  people  are  not  oftener  kicked  out  of  doors.  They 
are,  some  times.  There  ought  to  be  a  natural  pretext  for 
making  such  an  approach.  The  pretext  which  is  most  com- 
mon, and  the  one  which  is  most  sure  to  touch  the  heart,  is 
sickness.  To  visit  a  house  as  a  doctor  or  nurse  excites  neither 
resentment  nor  cupidity.  The  relation  is  entirely  a  normal 
one,  and  is  the  entering  wedge  to  further  ministrations. 

The  work  of  the  district  nurse,  already  established  in  many 
cities,  is  exactly  in  line  with  these  suggestions.  They  have  a 
wholesome  and  natural  pretext  for  visiting  these  homes.  At 
the  suggestion  of  the  attending  physician,  they  are  called. 
They  are  trained,  professional  nurses,  capable  of  giving 
instruction  in  the  care  of  the  sick,  hygiene,  cooking,  etc.,  etc. 
They  come  at  a  time  when  their  visit  is  neither  an  insult  nor 
an  enigma.  To  accept  help  in  times  of  sickness  has  no  stigma 
attached.  This  is  common  with  rich  and  poor  alike.  To  follow 
up  the  opportunity  opened  by  the  work  of  these  nurses  would 
be  strategic  and  would  be  the  first  step  towards  bridging  the 
chasm  we  have  allowed  to  grow  between  the  prosperous  and 
unfortunate.  This  is  an  open  door  where  creed  and  creedless 
may  enter  on  equal  footing.  Reciprocal  friendship  could 
begin  here,  after  which  real  charity  could  begin. 

Charity  is  a  word  the  poor  people,  as  a  rule,  despise.  To 
be  suspected  as  being  in  any  degree  a  subject  of  charity  is  a 
dishonor  which  they  try  to  shun.  Next  to  being  a  jail-bird  is 
to  be  a  charity-bug.  No  charity  can  be  entirely  welcome  that 
is  not  indirect  or  confidential.  In  giving  of  alms,  a  let  not 
your  right  hand  know  what  your  left  hand  doeth." 


WICKEDNESS  MADE  SECURE. 


"  Salt  is  Good,  But  if  the  Salt  has  Lost  its  Savor  Wherewith  Shall 

it  be  Seasoned?    It  is  Fit  Neither  for  the  Land  Nor  the 

Dunghill.    Men  Cast  it  Out.     He  that  Hath  Ears 

to    Hear,  Let  Him   Hear." 


[R.  TALKWELL  continued  last  Sunday  morning  his 
answer  to  the  question,  "What  practical  good  could 
possibly  arise  from  Christian  ministers  visiting 
places  ordinarily  called  wicked?" 

In  my  attempts  to  get  acquainted  with  our  city  I  have 
had  frequent  occasion  to  enter  a  place  of  public  amusement 
of  a  kind  to  be  found  in  all  cities  of  any  size.  A  small  price  of 
admission  is  charged.  At  the  end  of  a  long,  well  lighted  hall 
is  a  stage  on  which  are  nightly  performances,  Sundays  excepted. 
The  performances  are  not  especially  objectionable  nor  inter- 
esting, but  they  are  of  sufficient  variety  and  coarse  humor  to 
attract  audiences  every  night. 

The  women  who  frequent  this  place  are  classed  as  disre- 
putable, and  are  mostly  examples  of  pathetic  poverty  and 
reckless  despair.  The  men  are  from  all  classes  of  society,  but 
consist  mostly  of  the  so-called  lower  classes.  Tables  and 
chairs  are  scattered  throughout  the  hall,  where  beer  and  other 
refreshments  are  served.  A  special  policeman  is  always  in 
attendance,  whose  presence  seems  wholly  superfluous,  as  the 
best  of  order  prevails. 

Sitting  at  these  tables,  listening  to  the  entertainment  or 
talking  with  each  other,  drinking  and  smoking,  about  100 
men  and  one-quarter  as  many  women  spend  six  evenings  in 


96  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

the  week  until  12  o'clock.  The  place  is  frequently  visited  by 
the  police  and  detectives  in  search  of  truants,  runaways  and 
petty  offenders.  The  place  renders  a  peculiar  service  to  the 
city,  as  the  officers  are  almost  sure  to  find  the  wanted  man  or 
woman  of  a  certain  type.  An  irresistable  attraction  for  the 
place  draws  them  here,  making  them  easy  game  for  the 
police. 

Young  men  who  indulge  in  an  occassional  lark,  or  visitors 
who  wish  to  see  the  sights  of  the  city  with  the  boys,  are 
almost  sure  to  visit  this  place  late  in  the  evening.  No  openly 
indecorous  word  or  action  is  allowed  here,  and  yet  the  associa- 
tions which  young  men  of  respectable  families  form  here  are 
most  unfortunate. 

No  girl  enters  this  place  who  makes  any  pretense  of 
decency.  Her  presence  here  speaks  plainer  than  words  could, 
what  her  vocation  is.  With  the  external  appearance  of  well- 
behaved  people,  these  men  and  women  mingle  freely  together 
forming  acquaintances  that  can  hardly  end  in  anything  but 
harm  to  both.  And  yet  young  men  (with  a  liberal  sprink- 
ling of  men  not  young)  can  maintain  a  respectable  standing 
in  the  community  at  the  same  time  they  frequent  this  place. 
They  can  spend  an  evening  in  company  with  a  pure  girl  in 
one  of  the  many  exclusive  homes  of  the  city,  and  the  next 
evening  in  company  with  one  of  these  pitiful,  brazen, 
debauched  girls  of  the  town.  They  can  carry  this  sort  of 
thing  on  year  after  year  and  feel  perfectly  safe.  They  can 
do  this  because  none  but  their  own  kind  visit  here. 

Some  time  ago  during  a  visit  to  this  public  hall  I  saw  a 
young  man  who  belonged  to  a  Bible  class  that  I  was  teaching 
at  the  time.  He  was  a  prominent  member  of  the  church,  of 
aristocratic  family  and  engaged  to  one  of  the  purest  and 
sweetest  girls  I  ever  knew.  He  was  sitting  at  a  table  with 
other  young  men  engaged  in  conversation  with  two  of  the 
girls.  He  saw  me  about  the  same  time  I  saw  him,  and  tried 
to  conceal  his  identity  by  pulling  his  hat  down  over  his  eyes. 


WICKEDNESS    MADE    SECURE.  97 

I  approached  the  table,  however,  and  spoke  to  him  as  if  there 
was  nothing  peculiar  about  our  meeting  in  this  place.  After 
some  hesitation  he  introduced  me  to  his  male  friends,  but  did 
not  offer  to  introduce  me  to  the  girls.  He  became  very  uneasy 
during  my  conversation,  in  which  I  alluded  to  the  church  and 
Bible  class  and  other  matters  in  common  between  us.  His 
confusion  was  so  great  that  I  soon  took  pity  on  him  and  retired 
to  speak  to  others  I  recognized. 

The  next  day  I  met  one  of  the  men  to  whom  I  was  intro- 
duced, and  he  began  at  once  talking  of  the  occurrence  of  the 
last  evening.  He  apologized  profusely  for  having  been  seen 
in  such  a  place,  and  among  other  things  he  said :  "  The  young 
fellow  you  talked  with  was  terribly  cut  up  over  the  affair,  and 
said  if  there  were  five  more  men  like  Dr.  Talkwell  in  this 
city  it  would  not  be  safe  for  anyone  to  go  on  a  spree  without 
leaving  town." 

I  pondered  long  and  seriously  over  this  last  remark.  "  If 
there  were  five  more  such  men  as  Dr.  Talkwell  in  this  city  it 
would  not  be  safe  (safe  mind  you)  for  a  man  to  go  on  a  spree 
without  leaving  town."  I  had  accidentally  stumbled  on  a 
secret  of  the  debauchee  and  the  wayward. 

What  this  class  of  men  desire  most  of  all  is  precisely 
what  we  are  doing — to  be  let  alone.  They  wish  us  to  stay 
away,  and  we  are  kind  enough  to  do  so.  Once  behind  the 
closed  door  of  this  or  any  similar  place,  they  are  as  safe  as  if 
an  ocean  separated  them  from  home.  For  fear  of  contam- 
inating ourselves  we  have  avoided  such  places,  and  thus  made 
it  easy  for  our  sons  to  conceal  themselves  within.  To  save 
our  own  timid  souls  we  have  digged  a  pitfall  for  our  sons. 

This  same  privacy  extends  to  all  the  saloons  of  the  city, 
and  is  of  our  own  making.  We  have  hedged  these  places 
about  with  safeguards,  with  our  own  moral  cowardice  and 
pious  Phariseeism.  Once  behind  the  screen,  and  the  prodigal 
son  is  as  safe  from  his  prudent  father  or  prudish  mother  as  if 
they  were  in  different  hemispheres.  The  prodigals  of  today 


98  DR.    TALKW  ELL'S    SKETCHES. 

need  not  go  into  a  far  country.  Their  revels  can  safely  be 
conducted  under  our  very  noses.  This  is  exactly  what  we 
have  been  practicing  and  preaching  industriously  for  years. 
We  have  been  the  chief  ally  of  the  saloonkeeper.  We  have 
made  his  place  a  place  of  safety  to  the  sinner. 

And  to  make  our  idiocy  complete,  our  imbecility  perfect, 
we  have  tried  faithfully,  lo,  these  many  years,  by  legal  perse- 
cution, to  drive  these  places  into  greater  seclusion,  force  them 
into  safer  obscurity.  As  they  are  at  present  conducted,  the 
policeman  is  liable  to  enter  them  at  any  time,  day  or  night, 
and  they  are  open  to  the  inspection  of  any  citizen  at  all  times. 
But  we  would  have  driven  these  places,  if  we  could,  behind 
locked  doors  and  into  private  rooms,  where  no  policeman 
could  enter  and  no  citizen  could  find  entrance  except  by 
special  permission.  I  am  truly  thankful  that  our  misguided 
zeal  was  not  successful. 

If  I  had  simply  been  about  my  Master's  business  instead  of 
officiating  as  the  business  manager  of  a  social  and  educational 
club,  I  should  have  known  better.  I  need  not  have  waited  so 
long  to  learn  that  my  absence  from  and  hostility  to  these 
places  only  intensified  their  mischief.  If  I  had  only  been 
following  in  the  footsteps  of  the  friend  of  publicans  and 
sinners,  I  should  have  learned  long  ago  that  lesson  that  the 
young  man  taught  me  when  he  said :  "  If  there  were  five  Dr. 
Talkwells  in  this  city  it  would  not  be  safe  to  go  on  a  spree." 

Suppose  instead  of  five  there  were  one  hundred.  Suppose, 
in  other  words,  that  all  the  pastors  in  this  city  were  really 
Christian  ministers,  visiting  all  places  where  wandering  sheep 
are  wont  to  stray;  suppose  such  an  astounding  state  of  affairs 
existed,  where,  then,  would  the  young  men  feel  safe  to  go  on 
a  spree?  All  the  preaching  in  Christendom  can  not  constitute 
such  an  effectual  barrier  to  the  harmful  influences  of  these 
places  as  the  quiet,  persistent,  friendly  visits  of  a  sincere  man 
or  woman,  seeking  to  follow  the  footsteps  of  Jesus,  who  talked 
with  harlots  and  ate  with  publicans. 


KID-GLOVE  CHRISTIANITY. 


"Woe  Unto  You  When  All  Men  Speak  Well  of  You." 


R  TALKWELL  is  visiting  the  state  institutions.  By 
the  courtesy  of  the  governor  he  has  access  to  all 
possible  information  concerning  them.  Each  insti- 
tution is  reported  in  detail — its  uses  and  abuses,  its 
aims  and  shortcomings  —  to  large  and  interested  audiences 
every  Sunday.  Each  report  furnishes  such  a  large  array  of 
items  of  interest  to  both  the  taxpayer  and  the  pious,  that  sev- 
eral consecutive  Sundays  are  occupied  with  a  single  institu- 
tion. Each  Sunday's  report  occupies  about  an  hour.  At  the 
close  of  one  of  these  very  helpful  and  timely  reports  the  doc- 
tor said : 

"I  will  now  change  the  subject  by  answering  one  of  the 
many  questions  that  are  awaiting  reply.  For  instance,  here  is 
a  question  that  keeps  constantly  coming  up.  It  has  been 
asked  me  over  and  over  again  since  our  new  work  began  :  c  If 
Christian  ministers  were  to  visit  places  generally  forbidden  to 
respectable  people,  such  as  saloons,  gambling  places,  etc.,  etc., 
would  not  their  reputation  suffer?  Would  not  their  respecta- 
bility be  sullied?  Would  not  their  standing  in  society  be 
injured  ?' 

"  Well,  to  begin  with,  any  man  posing  as  a  Christian 
minister  who  thinks  more  of  his  reputation,  his  respectability, 
his  standing  in  society  than  he  does  of  his  work  as  a  Christian 
minister,  ought  to  strictly  avoid  visiting  such  places.  His 
visits  could  do  no  possible  good,  and  they  would  do  a  great 
deal  of  harm.  Such  a  man  ought  to  be  kept  in  a  band-box 


100  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

where  he  belongs.  Such  a  man  does  not  believe  in  the  first 
principles  of  Christianity.  He  might  be  a  theologian,  but  he 
is  not  a  Christian  minister.  The  less  Christian  work  (?)  he 
does  in  any  community  the  better  off  the  community  would  be. 

a  But  to  those  who  really  do  care  more  about  following 
Jesus  than  becoming  popular,  I  wish  to  say  a  few  words. 
Suppose  I  admit,  to  start  with,  that  the  work  of  the  real 
Christian  minister  is  quite  liable  to  be  despised,  mistrusted, 
misjudged  by  a  large  portion  of  every  community.  Suppose 
that  I  admit  that  the  churches,  as  a  rule,  would  not  support  or 
tolerate  the  work  of  such  a  minister.  Were  you  not  prepared 
for  this  when  you  set  out  on  the  Christian  ministry  ?  Did  you 
not  know  that  a  Christian  minister  would  meet  with  such 
things  ?  Have  you  not  read  your  Testament  ?  What  do  you 
suppose  Jesus  meant  when  he  said :  '  Blessed  are  ye  when 
men  shall  revile  you  and  persecute  you  and  shall  say  all  man- 
ner of  evil  against  you,  falsely,  for  my  sake.'  What  do  you 
suppose  he  meant  when  he  said  this  ? 

"  Is  it  not  fair  to  presume  that  he  foresaw  that  your  work 
would  make  you  liable,  at  least  to  have  men  revile  you,  and 
persecute  you,  and  say  evil  things  of  you  ?  If  a  minister  is  to- 
only  do  those  things  which  do  not  render  him  liable  to  any  of 
these  unpleasant  experiences,  what  did  Jesus  mean  when  he 
said  these  words  ?  Jesus  did  not  anywhere  promise  or  intimate 
that  his  ministers  were  to  be  popular,  well  spoken  of,  re- 
spected or  of  good  reputation.  He  again  and  again  warned 
his  disciples  that  the  exact  opposite  of  this  must  be  looked 
for. 

uHe  said  to  his  disciples  :  '  Beware  of  men,  for  they  will 
deliver  you  up  to  the  councils,  and  they  will  scourge  you.  in 
their  synagogues.'  '  And  ye  shall  be  hated  of  all  men  for  my 
name's  sake.'  Did  you  not  read  this  before  you  set  out  to  be 
a  Christian  minister  ?  If  you  read  it,  did  you  believe  it  ?  If 
you  did  read  and  believe  it,  how  came  you  to  expect  that  any 
thing  else  would  occur  to  you?  Scourged  in  the  synagogues. 


KID-GLOVE    CHRISTIANITY.  101 

hated  of  all  men.  This  is  what  Jesus  said.  Surely  he  was 
not  describing  that  set  of  men  who  are  posing  as  Christian 
ministers  today.  Either  he  did  not  know  what  would  happen 
to  Christian  ministers,  or  else  these  men  are  not  Christian 
ministers. 

u  For  of  all  men,  the  so-called  Christian  minister  of  today 
bears  the  least  resemblance  to  this  description.  No  one 
reviles  him,  no  one  persecutes  him,  no  one  scourges  him  in 
the  synagogues  (except  when  they  scourge  each  other  on 
account  of  some  doctrinal  difference).  Of  course  there  are 
some  black  sheep  among  them  who  lose  their  reputations,  and 
are  justly  condemned  by  the  community,  but  as  a  rule,  they 
are  the  most  respectable,  the  most  popular  and  the  least  per- 
secuted men  in  any  community.  Why  is  this?  My  answer 
is,  because  they  are  not  doing  the  work  that  Jesus  expected 
that  they  would  do.  If  they  were  doing  this  work  really,  they 
would  soon  find  themselves  in  collision  with  a  thousand  and 
one  things  with  which  now  they  have  the  most  amicable 
relations. 

"I  do  not  mean  by  this  that  the  so-called  Christian  min- 
ister is  deliberately  compromising  with  evil,  always,  or  even 
often.  But  I  do  mean  to  say  that  the  work  he  is  doing  closes 
his  eyes,  stops  his  ears  to  the  facts  of  his  surroundings.  This 
has  the  effect  of  making  him  almost  absolutely  innocuous. 
His  unconscious  inertness  is  fitly  described  by  the  scripture 
when  it  says  :  "  Because  thou  art  neither  cold  nor  hot  I  will 
spew  thee  out  of  my  mouth." 

In  another  place  Jesus  says :  '  If  they  have  called  the 
master  of  the  house  Beelzebub,  how  much  more  shall  they 
call  them  of  his  household  ? '  Did  you  expect  that  you  could 
follow  Jesus  and  not  suffer  at  least  some  of  the  persecutions 
that  he  suffered  ?  He  said  :  "  He  that  taketh  not  his  cross 
and  followeth  after  me  is  not  worthy  of  me."  What  do  you  sup- 
pose he  meant  by  cross  ?  Did  he  mean  things  that  are  com- 
fortable, that  are  reputable,  that  are  prosperous,  that  are 
desirable ;  did  he  mean  any  of  these  things  ?  I  think  not. 


102  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

Did  you  get  it  into  your  head  when  you  entered  the 
ministry  that  you  were  going  to  gain  a  reputation  rather  than 
lose  a  reputation?  Did  you  see  in  the  ministry  an  opportun- 
ity to  win  respectability,  rather  than  a  sacred  obligation  to 
lose  your  respectability  if  need  be  ?  They  said  of  Jesus  :  uBe- 
hold  a  man  gluttonous,  and  a  wine  bibber,  a  friend  of  publi- 
cans and  sinners."  Have  they  ever  said  this  of  you?  Have 
you  ever  given  them  any  occasion  to  say  this  of  you  ?  Have 
you  not,  on  the  contrary,  carefully  avoided  such  places  and 
associations  as  would  make  any  one  liable  to  say  such  things 
of  you  ?  Have  you  been  reading  your  testament  all  this  time  ? 
If  so,  by  what  hocus  pocus  have  you  been  able  to  persuade 
yourself  that  you  have  been  following  Jesus? 

You  remember  that  Jesus  was  roundly  criticised  by  the 
pious  ones  of  his  day  for  doing  the  work  of  practical  charity 
on  the  Sabbath  day.  They  charged  him  with  breaking  the 
Sabbath  by  doing  secular,  humanitarian  work  on  that  day. 
Have  you  ever  been  accused  of  this?  Did  the  community 
ever  criticise  you  for  not  keeping  the  Sabbath  day?  I  think 
not.  You  have  been  very  punctilious  about  this,  without  a 
doubt.  And  let  me  tell  you  right  here,  if  you  keep  on  care- 
fully avoiding  doing  the  things  Jesus  did,  you  will  have  no 
trouble  in  maintaining  your  respectability,  your  popularity 
and  your  unsullied  reputation  as  a  refined  Christian  (?) 
gentleman. 

You  just  read  your  Testament  every  day,  take  careful 
note  of  what  Jesus  did,  then  cautiously  guard  against  doing 
any  of  them,  and  you  will  have  no  trouble  whatever.  No  one 
will  speak  ill  of  you.  Your  reputation  as  a  nice,  pious 
preacher  will  be  flawless.  Everybody  will  like  you.  No  man 
will  have  aught  against  you.  Stop  your  ears  against  those 
disagreeable  persons  who  try  to  make  it  out  that  there  is  any 
disrepute  possible  in  the  work  of  a  Christian  minister. 

No;  until  you  are  willing  to  give  up  the  world  and 
take  Jesus  at  his  word,  follow  him- wherever  he  leads,  I  would 
advise  you  to  stay  at  home  in  your  little  parsonage,  in  your 
own  respectable  parish,  and  carefully  guard  that  little  glass 
trinket  of  yours  which  you  call  your  reputation.  Some  one 
might  speak  ill  of  you  as  they  did  of  Jesus. 


PRIMITIVE   RELIGION. 


"  It  is   More    Blessed   to   Give  Than  to   Receive." 


>ND  IF  I  bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the  poor,  and 
if  I  give  my  body  to  be  burned,  but  have  not  love, 
it  profiteth  me  nothing." 

There  is  nothing  that  can  take  the  place  of  love. 
If  we  have  the  love  of  humanity  in  our  hearts  and  have  noth- 
ing else,  we  have  all  there  is  of  religion.  If  we  have  not  the 
love  of  humanity,  genuine,  unaffected  love;  though  we  have 
everything  else,  we  have  nothing  that  is  religious.  Though  I 
bestow  all  my  goods  to  feed  the<poor  but  do  not  love  the  poor,. 
I  have  done  nothing.  Though  for  humanity  I  give  my  body 
to  be  burned,  if  I  do  not  love  humanity,  I  am  nothing  to- 
humanity. 

There  is  but  one  real  service  we  can  render  our  fellow- 
beings,  and  that  is  to  love  them.  If  real  love  exists  between 
two  people,  all  the  law  and  the  gospel  will  be  their  rule  of 
conduct  toward  each  other  as  a  matter  of  course.  This  will 
be  so  whether  they  have  heard  the  gospel  or  not.  If,  however* 
there  be  no  genuine  love  between  two  people,  all  the  legal 
enactments,  social  etiquette,  culture  and  refined  manners  in 
the  world  cannot  make  them  obey  either  the  law  or  the  gospeh 
If  we  have  love,  we  have  everything;  if  we  have  not  love,  we 
have  nothing.  Although  my  faith  may  be  so  great  that  I  am 
able  to  remove  mountains,  if  I  do  not  love  humanity  I  have 
nothing.  I  may  be  able  to  prophesy  and  understand  all  mys- 
teries ;  if  I  do  not  love  my  fellow-beings,  without  respect  of 
persons,  I  am  nothing;  I  have  nothing. 


KM  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

It  is  not  enough  that  I  love  them  that  love  me ;  for  do  not 
even  the  heathen  do  this  ?  It  is  not  enough  that  I  love  my 
own  family ;  for  do  not  the  brutes  do  this  ?  It  is  not  enough 
that  I  love  persons  of  my  own  set,  or  society,  or  church,  or 
nationality,  or  color,  or  language,  or  faith— all  this  falls  far 
short  of  the  gospel;  all  this  do  the  people  of  the  world. 

If  I  cannot  love  a  man  because  he  is  dirty,  or  a  woman 
because  she  is  ragged,  I  have  no  religion.  If  my  love  does 
not  withstand  vulgarity,  profanity,  laziness,  stupidity,  lying, 
licentiousness,  I  have  not  the  love  that  entitles  me  to  the 
name  of  Christian.  If  I  love  only  beauty,  refinement,  thrift, 
grace,  if  I  love  only  those  who  are  virtuous  and  happy, 
wherein  am  I  different  from  them  that  know  not  Christ? 

Just  so  long  as  there  remains  any  class  toward  whom  I 
have  only  hate  and  aversion,  for  whom  I  have  no  love,  just 
so  long  I  have  failed  to  comprehend  Christ.  It  is  not  enough 
that  I  feel  a  love  toward  humanity ;  that  I  cherish  a  senti- 
ment of  love  ;  I  must  be  actuated  in  all  my  activities  and 
dealings  with  men  by  love. 

This  is  not  saying  that  I  must  be  a  vapid  goody-goody,  a 
driveling,  sentimental  crank  that  any  dead-beat  delights  to 
find,  upon  whom  he  thrives  and  fattens.  It  is  possible  to  love 
a  fellow-being  without  making  a  fool  of  him,  or  allowing  him 
to  make  a  fool  of  me. 

It  does  not  follow  because  I  love  a  man  that  I  will  do 
everything  he  wants  me  to  do.  In  fact,  love  is  more  discrim- 
inating in  its  service  than  indifference.  It  is  indifference 
rather  than  love  that  actuates  a  person  to  give  a  stranger  on 
the  street  a  dime,  simply  because  he  asks  for  it.  It  is  a  debat- 
able question  whether  love  ever  inspires  indiscriminate  giving. 
Love  sometimes  hurts,  demands,  compels,  as  well  as  soothes, 
coaxes  and  indulges.  A  surgeon  may  love  the  one  he  cuts,  as 
well  as  the  philanthropist  loves  the  one  he  feeds.  A  man  may 
despise  and  hate  the  beggar  he  feeds,  and  love  the  child  he 
punishes.  Love  seeks  to  benefit,  to  restore,  regardless  of 
means. 


PRIMITIVE    REUGION.  105 

A  policeman  may  love  the  one  he  arrests;  the  jailor  may 
love  the  one  upon  whom  he  turns  the  key ;  the  teacher  may 
love  the  one  upon  whom  the  severest  discipline  is  adminis- 
tered. Indeed,  nothing  short  of  this  is  Christianity.  On  the 
other  hand,  our  "  Lady  Bountiful "  may  loathe  the  one  she 
rescues ;  the  millionaire  may  hold  in  contempt  the  enterprise 
he  assists,  and  the  pastor  may  feel  only  languid  interest  in 
the  people  to  whom  he  ministers.  All  this  often  passes  for 
love,  but  is  filthy  rags  in  the  sight  of  God. 

It  is  the  one  who  hates,  not  hurts,  that  is  un-Christian. 
It  is  the  one  who  loves,  not  flatters,  that  is  of  Christ.  "  Give 
to  him  that  asketh,"  but  not  necessarily  the  thing  asked  for. 
"  From  him  that  would  borrow  turn  not  away."  He  is  entitled 
to  consideration  and  courtesy,  but  it  does  not  follow  that  his 
own  idea  of  his  own  good  shall  prevail. 

When  a  man's  necessities  are  so  great  as  to  decide  him  to 
ask  for  help,  he  does,  by  asking  me,  take  me  into  his  con- 
fidence. His  affairs  have  become  temporarily  my  affairs.  I 
ought  to  do  or  advise,  exactly  as  if  the  matter  were  my  own. 
If  what  he  asked  for,  in  my  judgment,  is  not  the  best  thing, 
I  have  no  right  (much  less  is  it  my  duty)  to  give  it  to  him. 
If  I  give  any  one  anything  which  I  do  not  believe  to  be  for 
his  best  good,  I  have  done  him  an  injury,  not  a  kindness. 

When  asked  to  assist  any  one  in  trouble  or  want  or  dis- 
tress, we  are  to  do  by  him  exactly  as  if  the  case  were  our  own. 
Since  it  is  a  fact  that  we  often  decide  for  ourselves  a  way  out 
of  a  difficulty  that  involves  pain  or  self-denial  or  great  sacrifice, 
we  ought  not  to  shrink  from  prescribing  the  same  for  our 
fellows,  if  it  is  our  judgment  such  things  are  for  the  best.  It 
is  the  pernicious  notion  that  love  only  coddles,  indulges, 
agrees  to  everything,  that  makes  the  idea  of  universal  love 
seem  ridiculous  to  so  many.  The  more  we  love  a  person,  the 
more  we  should  be  just  to  him.  We  are  not  just  to  our 
brother  when  we  consent  to  do  anything  for  him  which,  in  our 
understanding  of  his  case,  is  not  the  proper  thing,  even  though 
he  may  ask  it. 


106  I)K.     TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

It  is  more  pleasant  to  indulge  than  to  deny,  and  easier 
sometimes  to  consent,  than  to  correct ;  but  if  we  really  love 
we  will  often  be  compelled  to  do  both.  There  are  many 
people  who  continue  to  befog  themselves  with  the  notion  that 
the  indiscriminate  giving  of  money  is  an  indication  of  love. 
In  the  majority  of  cases  of  want,  money  is  not  needed  at  all. 
Even  in  cases  where  money  is  needed,  something  besides  the 
money  is  needed  far  more. 

Friendship,  sympathy,  counsel,  acquaintance,  these  are 
needed  more  than  money.  There  are  cases  where  money 
should  be  given  in  addition  to  these,  but  never  without  them. 
To  give  a  man  money  is  simply  to  give  him  power  to  do  good 
or  ill,  as  he  chooses.  If  I  do  not  know  nor  care  which  he  will 
do  with  it,  do  1  do  the  person  or  the  community  a  good  service 
to  give  such  a  one  money  ?  Ought  we  to  give  a  child  firearms, 
or  an  imbecile  dangerous  chemicals  ?  It  would  not  be  a  kind- 
ness to  do  so  to  say  the  least.  Why  ?  Because  it  would  be 
putting  power  into  incompetent  hands. 

To  give  a  bad  man  money  is  to  do  exactly  the  same  thing. 
It  is  not  love  that  inspires  such  a  gift.  To  give  an  entire 
stranger  money  is  a  venture  that  is  more  liable  to  cause  harm 
than  to  do  good.  It  is  myself  that  I  owe  to  humanity,  without 
respect  of  persons,  not  my  money.  It  is  myself  that  I  should 
give  indiscriminately,  not  power.  Jesus  gave  himself,  not 
money,  to  redeem  humanity.  Give  to  him  that  asketh.  Give 
what?  Give  yourself,  your  sympathj7,  your  advice,  your  best 
judgment,  and  if  need  be,  your  money  if  no  one  else  has  a 
higher  claim  on  you. 


BLOWING    HOT  AND   COLD. 


Know    Thy    Works,  That    Thou    Art    Neither    Cold  nor  Hot ;  1 
Would  Thou  Wert  Cold  or  Hot,  So  Because  Thou  Art 
Lukewarm,  and  Neither  Hot  nor  Cold,  I  Will 
Spew  Thee  Out  of  My  Mouth." 


JT  THE  close  of  a  very  interesting  report  on  one  of 
the  state  institutions  last  Sunday,  Dr.  Talkwell  said  : 
"I  have  tried  to  make  it  clear  to  you  in  past  dis- 
courses that  my  former  inefficiency  as  a  Christian 
minister  depended  largely  upon  the  fact  that  I  knew  little  or 
nothing  of  the  real  lives  of  the  so-called  lower  classes.  This 
conviction  grows  upon  me  daily  as  I  continue  my  stay  among 
them.  I  am  no  longer  visiting  them.  I  am  among  them  to 
stay.  If  I  make  any  visits  it  will  be  to  the  so-called  upper 
classes,  and  return  at  once  to  my  place  among  the  lowly,  the 
outcast  and  the  outraged.  Instead  of  losing  my  life,  I  have 
found  it.  Instead  of  spending  my  strength,  I  have  renewed 
my  strength. 

I  have  found  the  degradation  of  the  lower  classes  to  be 
exactly  like  the  culture  of  the  upper  classes  —  only  skin  deep. 
The  real  man  and  woman  underneath  is  very  much  the  same, 
with,  perhaps,  a  liberal  margin  in  favor  of  the  degraded.  I 
have  found  the  frank  vulgarity  and  the  outspoken  profanity 
of  the  so-called  lower  classes  to  be  no  surer  index  to  what  a 
person  really  is,  than  the  po'lite  insincerities  and  polished 
pretenses  of  the  so-called  upper  classes.  I  have  found  pure 
hearts  and  loyal  souls  everywhere,  but  I  have  found  them  so 
much  oftener  among  the  poor  than  I  used  to  among  the  rich. 


108  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

that  I  begin  to  believe  that  Jesus  knew  what  he  was  talking 
about  when  he  spoke  of  the  "  deceitfulness  of  riches." 

When  I  was  the  prosperous  pastor  of  a  prosperous 
church  I  had  a  way  of  explaining  (?)  the  words  of  Jesus,  con- 
cerning riches  and  rich  men,  which,  in  reality,  emptied  them 
of  all  meaning.  This  toadying  to  the  rich  man  was  uncon- 
scious on  my  part  at  the  time,  but  I  can  see  now  plainly  that 
I  was  doing  it  nevertheless.  When  Jesus  said  that  "A  rich 
man  shall  hardly  enter  the  kingdom,"  when  he  said,  "  It  is 
easier  for  a  camel  to  go  through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  a 
rich  man  to  enter  into  the  kingdom  of  God,"  I  felt  sure  that 
such  rash  statements  needed  smoothing  down;  that  they 
were  not  to  be  taken  literally. 

I  get  out  those  old  sermons  now  and  read  them  over 
with  mingled  shame  and  amusement.  When  Jesus  told  the 
young  man  that  if  he  would  be  perfect  he  must  sell  his  pos- 
sessions and  distribute  them  to  the  poor  (for  he  had  much 
riches),  I  had  taken  this  plain  statement  in  one  of  those  old 
sermons  of  mine,  and  by  an  adroit  piece  of  theological  thim- 
ble-rigging I  had  actually  made  it  out  that  Jesus  did  not  mean 
the  rich  men  in  my  congregation;  he  only  meant  that  partic- 
ular rich  man.  It  was  unconscious  on  my  part  then,  for  I  was 
beholden  to  the  rich  man  in  those  days.  He  sustained  my 
expensive  church.  He  greased  the  wheels  of  my  ecclesiastical 
machinery.  It  was  only  just  reciprocation  on  my  part;  sim- 
ply good  manners.  It  was  the  inevitable  result  of  organized 
Christianity  and  a  salaried  Christian  ministry. 

But  as  I  read  those  sermons  over  now,  my  arguments 
were  so  thin,  and  my  illustrations  so  far-fetched,  that  if  there 
were  any  rich  men  in  my  congregation  that  had  a  particle  of 
sense  they  must  have  despised  me.  It  is  so  apparent  to  me 
now,  since  I  am  free  from  the  whole  business,  that  I  blush  as 
I  read  it.  What  must  a  sensible,  rich  man  have  thought  of 
me,  when  I  was  using  all  my  eloquence  to  curry  his  favor  by 
explaining  away  such  plain,  unmistakable  language  as  Jesus 


KLCAYLXG     HOT    AXD    COLD.  109 

made  use  of  when  he  said :  u  Ye  cannot  serve  God  and  Mam- 
mon." "  For  either  you  will  hate  the  one  and  love  the  other, 
or  else  will  hold  to  the  one  and  despise  "the  other." 

Now  it  is  an  actual  fact,  as  these  old  sermons  reveal,  that 
I  took  this  saying  of  Jesus  as  my  text,  and  made  it  out  to  my 
own  satisfaction,  at  least,  that  the  rich  man  was  all  right; 
that  he  could  live  in  a  mansion  with  warm,  empty  rooms  to 
spare,  while  his  neighbor  was  shuddering  in  a  dark,  cold 
hovel ;  that  he  could  enjoy  an  income  of  tens  of  thousands  a 
year,  while  his  neighbor  was  dragging  out  a  miserable  exist- 
ence trying  to  support  a  large  family  on  less  than  two  hun- 
dred dollars  a  year ;  that  he  could  feast  while  others  fainted  ; 
that  he  could  be  warm  while  others  were  cold ;  that  he  could 
thrive  while  others  perished ;  that  he  could  do  all  these  things 
and  yet  save  his  soul  and  become  at  last  the  possessor  of  a 
crown  of  glory,  richly  studded  with  jewels,  emblematic  of  the 
colleges  he  had  endowed,  the  churches  he  had  built  and  the 
benevolent  enterprises  he  had  assisted. 

How  the  rich  men  must  have  despised  me !  I  feel  sure 
that  they  do  not  enjoy  such  truckling  as  this.  Whatever  else 
the  rich  man  is,  he  has  brains  to  see  through  such  subterfuge. 
I  do  not  wonder  now  that  the  rich  man  doled  out  his  pennies 
to  me  rather  daintily  after  hearing  such  senseless  sycophancy. 
I  honestly  believe  had  I  told  him  the  square  truth  that  he  has 
no  moral  right  (according  to  Jesus)  to  have  more  than  enough, 
while  his  brother  has  less  than  enough,  he  would  have  ad- 
mired my  courage  and  would  have  set  much  higher  value  on 
my  preaching.  Had  I  resolutely  turned  my  face  from  all 
apologies  for  the  plain,  direct  ethics  of  Jesus  concerning 
riches,  I  really  believe  he  would  have  been  a  more  generous 
contributor.  It  might  not  have  reformed  his  practices,  but  he 
would  have  known  in  his  heart  that  I  was  telling  him  the 
truth.  He  would  have  done  secret  penance  for  his  conduct  by 
enlarging  his  gifts. 

Had  I  made  it  plain  to  the  rich  man  that  I  was  the  advo- 


110  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

<?ate  of  the  poor  man,  the  oppressed  woman  and  the  ragged 
child,  I  suspect  that  he  would  have  been  only  too  glad  to  have 
turned  over  to  me  larger  portions  of  his  wealth  to  relieve  his 
pangs  of  conscience.  But  I  did  not  impress  the  rich  man  with 
the  fact  that  I  would  make  any  such  use  of  his  money  if  he 
gave  it  to  me.  I  gave  him  the  notion  many  times  that  I 
wanted  to  build  a  larger  church,  a  higher  steeple,  employ  a 
more  expensive  choir,  or  contribute  extensively  to  foreign 
missionary  enterprises ;  that  I  wanted  his  money  much  more 
for  such  things  than  to  help  the  poor.  He  had  business  sagac- 
ity enough  to  see  that  I  overestimated  the  importance  of  these 
ecclesiastical  affairs.  He  lost  confidence  in  my  practical  wis- 
dom and  concluded  he  could  make  better  use  of  his  own 
money  than  1  could.  He  was  not  altogether  wrong,  either. 

My  Master  said  :  "  Woe  unto  you  that  are  rich  !  For  ye 
have  received  your  consolation  !  "  I  frequently  apologized  to 
the  rich  man  for  these  harsh  words  of  Jesus,  but  I  never  once 
faithfully  delivered  my  Master's  message.  I  was  secretly 
ashamed  of  my  Master  and  the  rich  man  was  secretly  ashamed 
of  me.  He  knew  that  I  was  straining  the  plain  words  of 
Jesus  for  his  benefit.  He  resented  my  patronage.  The  truth 
would  have  hurt  him  less.  But  I  was  unconscious  of  it  all.  I 
often  wondered  at  the  parsimony  then,  but  I  see  it  all  now. 
It  was  a  plain  case  of  the  "  blind  leading  the  blind." 

I  had  parted  company  with  Jesus.  I  was  in  a  labyrinth  of 
my  own  making.  Peter  denied  his  Master  thrice ;  I  had  de- 
nied him  thrice  and  thrice  and  thrice  again.  I  had  failed  to 
effectually  reach  the  rich  man  because  I  had  not  gone  to  the 
poor  man. 

I  had  earned  the  silent  contempt  of  the  rich  man  at  the 
same  time  I  had  estranged  and  hurt  the  poor  man.  My  re- 
finements of  the  gospel  had  rendered  them  neither  cold  nor 
hot,  and  they  contained  neither  reproof  nor  succor.  I  have 
since  learned  that  the  onlv  wav  to  become  a  minister  to  the 


BLOWING    HOT    AND    COLD.  Ill 

poor  is  to  become  one  of  them.  I  have  also  learned  that  the 
only  way  to  minister  to  the  rich  is  to  become  a  minister  to  the 
poor.  No  one  appreciates  the  services  of  such  a  minister 
more  than  the  rich  man.  He  would  be  only  too  glad  to  placate 
his  own  sense  of  right  by  assisting  such  a  minister.  My  later 
experiences  confirm  this,  of  which  I  may  speak  next  Sunday. 


A   RICH   MAN'S   RELIGION. 


•'  For  the   Love   of   Money  is  a    Root  of  all   Kinds  of  Evil,  Which 

Some,  Reaching  After,  Have  Been  Led  Astray  From 

the  Faith,  and   Have  Pierced  Themselves 

Through  With  Many  Sorrows." 


>S  DR.  TALK  WELL  rose  to  begin  his  report,  a  wealthy 
banker  asked  the  following  question  : 

u  What  do  you  mean,  or  what  do  you  suppose 
Jesus  meant,  by  the  term  'rich  man?'  How  much 
money  or  wealth  must  a  man  have  to  be  properly  called  a  rich 
man  ? " 

A  rich  man  is  one  who  spends  more  money  for  his  personal 
gratification  than  he  needs.  A  man  may  control  the  use  of 
a  large  sum  of  money  without  being  a  rich  man.  He  becomes 
a  rich  man  only  when  he  consents  to  spend  upon  himself  more 
than  is  needed  for  any  rational  want.  A  man  may  be  a 
millionaire,  and  yet  be  a  poor  man  in  his  habits.  If  a  man 
uses  his  millions  in  legitimate  industries,  furnishing  work  for 
others  at  wages  that  allow  them  to  live  as  well  as  he  lives 
himself,  such  a  man  is  not  a  rich  man.  It  is  only  when  a  man 
can  bring  himself  to  consent  to  habitually  use  for  his  own 
personal  gratification  more  than  he  allows  to  those  he  employs. 
Anything  more  than  frugality  and  strict  economy  is  riches. 
Every  one  knows  that  there  are  those  who  daily  suffer  for 
want  of  sufficient  food  and  clothing.  Everybody  knows  this. 
There  is  no  way  to  escape  this  knowledge.  Providence  has 
so  fixed  it  that  there  is  only  enough  in  this  world  to  supply 
each  one  decently.  If  one  has  more  than  enough  to  do  this, 


A    RICH    MAN'S    RELIGION.  11$ 

then  some  one  else  must  have  less  than  enough.  Any  man 
who  allows  himself  needless  luxuries  is  depriving  some  one 
else  of  the  necessaries  of  life.  It  is  easier  for  a  camel  to  pass 
through  the  eye  of  a  needle  than  for  such  a  man  to  enter  the 
kingdom  of  God. 

What  is  a  luxury  ?  Something  better  or  more  expensive 
than  the  average  man  can  afford.  This  changes  with  every 
generation,  but  remains  relatively  the  same.  Everyone  knows- 
when  he  is  spending  more  on  himself  than  the  average  person 
could  afford.  When  a  man  does  this  he  is  a  rich  man.  A  man 
may  have  the  control  of  millions  and  not  do  this,  or  have  a 
moderate  income  and  be  able  to  do  it.  Some  capitalists  live 
frugally,  practice  economy,  and  use  every  cent  of  their  income 
to  enlarge  their  usefulness.  Such  a  man  is  not  a  rich  man, 
Such  a  man  is  the  salt  of  the  earth.  May  their  tribe  increase. 
They  are  the  men  of  ten  talents  who  were  commended  for 
having  gained  ten  more  talents  for  the  Master. 

Some  men  suffer  because  they  have  too  little  to  eat,  too- 
little  to  wear  and  too  much  work  to  do.  Such  a  man  is  poor. 
Other  men  suffer  because  they  have  too  much  to  eat,  too- 
much  to  wear,  and  too  little  work  to  do.  Such  a  man  is  rich. 
A  shame  on  him.  Woe  unto  him.  No  hunger  can  equal  the 
anguish  that  awaits  him.  Neither  biting  frosts  nor  crushing: 
burdens  can  bring  the  torture  that  he  is  piling  up  against  him- 
self. He  lazily  cuts  off  his  coupons,  he  languidly  draws  his, 
interest.  He  loafs  while  others  work  for  him,  he  yawns  and 
stretches  while  others  sweat  for  him.  "  Woe  unto  him !  He 
hath  received  his  consolation  !  " 

How  much  may  a  man  expend  for  his  own  living?  My 
answer  is  this  :  The  average  income  which  others  receive.  If 
all  wages  and  incomes  were  equally  divided  among  all  the 
men  of  this  country,  what  would  each  one  receive  ?  Whatever 
your  answer  is,  that  is  the  answer  that  God  makes  to  your 
question.  If  you  receive  a  greater  income  than  this,  you  have 
110  right  to  use  the  surplus  for  your  own  gratification.  You 


114  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

are  by  honor  bound  to  so*  use  the  surplus  that  others  will 
equally  enjoy  the  benefit  of  it. 

Your  superior  education  and  culture  does  not  entitle  you 
to  spend  more  on  yourself  on  account  of  acquired  taste  and 
habits,  but  on  the  other  hand,  it  should  have  prepared  you  to 
get  along  with  less  than  your  ignorant  neighbor  is  able  to  do. 
If  your  education  did  not  so  prepare  you,  it  was  not  a  Chris- 
tian education  you  received,  that  is  certain.  If  you  really  love 
the  people,  you  will  make  their  woes  your  woes,  their  joys 
your  joys,  and  their  wages  your  wages.  You  can  then  mourn 
when  they  mourn  ;  rejoice  when  they  rejoice.  If  you  refuse 
to  use  for  your  own  living  more  than  the  average  man  receives, 
then  when  the  people  are  oppressed,  you  are  oppressed  also. 
You  are  like  Jesus,  become  poor  for  the  sake  of  the  people. 

Surely  Jesus  could  have  commanded  a  better  salary  than 
he  did  if  he  had  chosen  to.  Did  Jesus  not  have  tastes  and 
appreciations  that  lifted  him  above  the  masses  ?  Why,  then, 
did  he  not  indulge  them  like  the  many  people  do  today  who 
think  they  are  following  Jesus  ?  Jesus  refused  to  be  richer 
than  the  poorest.  If  I  have  not  done  this,  I  am  not  his  fol- 
lower. There  is  no  use  trying  to  dodge  this  plain  fact. 

Finally  the  Gospel  will  prevail,  and  every  man  receive  an 
equal  income.  In  the  meantime  inequalities  remain.  The 
best  way  to  avoid  the  curse  of  riches  is  to  use  the  excess  of 
income  in  such  a  way  that  others  enjoy  equal  benefit  from  it. 
Otherwise  we  are  not  Christians  but  brutes.  If  we  must 
indulge  our  aesthetic  tastes,  it  can  be  done  by  the  art  gallery, 
the  theater,  the  popular  concert,  etc.,  to  all  of  which  the  public 
should  have  equal  access  and  equal  rights.  It  is  not  aesthetic 
but,  piggish,  to  keep  such  things  for  our  own  exclusive  use. 

There  are  two  pigs  in  a  pen.  Both  pigs  are  hungry.  Enough 
feed  is  put  into  their  trough  for  both.  But  one  pig  is  the 
stronger.  He  drives  the  weaker  one  away,  and  eats  it  all. 
As  a  consequence,  both  pigs  suffer.  The  one  suffers  because 
he  has  had  too  much  to  eat;  the  other  because  he  has  had  too 
little.  Surely  swine  are  disgusting  creatures. 


A    RICH    MAN'S    RELIGION.  115 

There  are  two  men  on  the  street.  Both  men  are  hungry. 
They  have  money  enough  (fifty  cents)  to  buy  both  a  good 
dinner.  But  one  man  has  all  the  money,  and  the  other  man 
has  none.  The  man  who  has  the  money  buys  himself  a  dinner 
for  fifty  cents  ;  the  other  remains  hungry.  As  a  consequence 
both  suffer.  The  one  suffers  because  he  has  had  too  much  to 
eat ;  the  other  suffers  because  he  has  had  too  little.  Surely 
Christians  are  disgusting  creatures.  You  say  this  man  is  not 
a  Christian  ?  The  chances  are  that  he  thinks  he  is,  and  it  is 
not  at  all  unlikely  that  he  calls  himself  a  Christian  minister. 
I  used  to  do  such  things  at  the  time  I  was  known  as  a  Christian 
minister.  You  ask,  u  Could  he  not  do  as  he  pleased  with  his 
money  ? "  Yes,  he  could,  and  he  did.  So  did  the  other  pig. 
Money  is  power.  He  who  has  the  most  money  has  the  most 
power.  He  has  deprived  the  other  man  of  his  dinner  and  has 
eaten  both  dinners,  simply  because  he  had  the  power  to  do  so. 
This  is  exactly  what  the  other  pig  did,  also.  There  is  no  differ- 
ence whatever.  If  the  man  can  be  defended,  the  pig  can  also. 

The  fact  is  this  world  is  only  rich  enough  to  furnish  all 
the  men  with  twenty-five-cent  dinners.  If  I  eat  a  fifty-cent 
dinner,  some  other  man  must  go  without.  If  I  eat  a  dollar 
dinner,  three  men  must  go  without.  If  I  have  a  dollar  to  spare 
for  my  dinner,  I  should  save  seventy-five  cents  to  help  the 
ones  who  have  no  dinner.  Otherwise,  I  am  doing  exactly 
what  the  pig  did.  A  twenty-five  cent  dinner  is  good  enough 
for  anyone  except  a  glutton. 

I  have  heard  that  they  have  periodical  debauches  at  our 
national  White  House.  At  these  so-called  banquets  every 
sitter  is  supposed  to  eat  or  destroy  ten  dollars  worth  of  food 
and  drink.  At  the  same  time  people  are  hungry  in  all  the 
land.  And  yet  we  call  this  a  Christian  nation.  We  call  the 
president,  who  presides  at  these  carnivals,  a  Christian  presi- 
dent. We  call  the  people  who  help  waste  this  food  Christian 
gentlemen  and  Christian  ladies.  We  call  the  preachers  who 
honor  these  scenes  of  gross  gluttony,  by  their  presence  or 
approval,  Christian  ministers.  Every  time  we  use  the  word 
Christian  in  such  a  sense,  uwe  crucify  to  ourselves  the  Son  of 
God  afresh,  and  put  him  to  an  open  shame." 


A  TALK  ON   ALMS-GIVING. 


A  Mission  Without  a  Scrip.     A  Charity  Without  a  Purse. 


[R.  TALKWELL  was  looking  over  his  morning  inaiL 
He  was  seated  in  his  plainly  furnished  library, 
where  gathered  every  night  many  stranded,  helpless 
souls  for  counsel,  encouragement,  and  fraternity.  His 
mail  consisted  this  morning,  as  usual,  mostly  of  letters  from 
residents  of  the  city  relating  to  some  trouble,  physical  or 
spiritual,  for  which  his  help  or  advice  was  sought.  One  by  one 
the  letters  were  read  through  carefully,  sympathetically. 

Occasionally  a  tear  glistened  in  his  eye  as  he  read  them. 
The  same  old  stories  and  yet  ever  appealing  afresh  to  his  heart. 
Widows  caught  in  the  meshes  of  mortgage  fiends.  Mothers 
tortured  by  wayward  sons  or  daughters.  Fathers,  helpless  or 
desperate  with  no  work,  no  credit,  and  worse  than  that,  no 
friends.  Families  disgraced  by  an  erring  girl  hiding  in  places 
of  shame.  Girls  on  the  verge  of  a  precipice,  at  the  bottom  of 
which  there  is  no  hope,  no  pity,  no  help.  Boys  restive  under 
all  restraint,  misunderstood,  misguided,  with  their  manhood 
yet  unvanquished,  ambition  yet  uncurbed.  All  these,  and 
more,  were  the  writers  of  the  letters  which  the  doctor  was 
reading. 

What  will  he  do  for  these  people  ?  This  one  man  with  no 
funds,  no  organization  behind  him.  What  will  one  man  do 
with  all  these  petitions?  Can  he  perform  miracles  of  healing, 
of  feeding,  of  defending,  of  consoling  this  multitude?  Yes, 
he  can  and  will,  right  speedily,  right  easily.  No  trumpets  to 
sound,  no  statistics  to  keep,  no  red  tape  to  unwind,  no  laggard 


A    TALK    ON    ALMS-GIVING.  117 

committee  to  wait  for,  no  whining  missionaries  to  consult.  This 
is  what  he  will  do,  this  one  man  who  is  making  a  feeble  step 
in  the  direction  of  real  Christian  ministry.  This  is  what  he 
will  do. 

In  his  going  in  and  out  among  the  people  a  dozen  lawyer's 
have  noticed  his  work  and  have  offered  to  defend  any  case 
where  injustice  is  grinding  the  poor.  >l  Just  telephone  me  and 
you  will  find  me  ready  at  any  time."  A  simple  clasp  of  the 
hand,  a  manly  "  Thank  you  sir, "  and  the  compact  is  sealed. 
A  dozen  physicans  have  noticed  and  have  offered  the  same 
fraternal  assistance.  Men  of  means  have  offered  to  make 
small  loans  without  interest  to  those  found  worthy  of  confi- 
dence. The  district  nurses  have  offered  their  beautiful  minis- 
trations by  which  medicines  for  the  poor,  nicknacs  for  the  con- 
valescent, flowers  and  fraternities  for  the  incurable  are  fur- 
nished. The  mayor,  with  all  the  powers  of  organized  society 
behind  him,  has  offered  his  services  in  all  cases  where  the  law 
would  be  more  effective  than  the  gospel. 

How  did  Dr.  Talkwell  get  all  these  powers  to  act  in  be- 
half of  the  poor  and  down-trodden  ?  By  simply  doing  his  duty 
among  them.  All  these  offers  came  to  him  unbidden,  un- 
sought. By  losing  his  life,  he  found  it.  This  is  what  he  will 
do,  this  one  man  in  the  name  of  his  master,  Jesus.  He  will 
step  to  his  telephone  and  summon  to  his  aid  these  men  and 
women,  many  of  whom  never  spoke  in  prayer  meeting,  were 
never  miraculously  converted,  do  not  attend  church  regularly 
and  hold  curious  notions  about  the  Bible,  but  who  really  be- 
lieve in  Jesus,  and  are  willing  to  follow  in  his  footsteps  if  any 
man  will  show  them  the  way. 

He  will  perform  the  miracle  of  setting  all  these  willing 
minds  and  open  hearts  to  work  for  humanity  in  a  moment's 
time.  On  the  wings  of  electricity  his  messages  will  speed — 
wings  furnished  by  secular  scientists  while  carping  theologians 
are  disputing  as  to  the  difference  between  tweedle-dee  and 
tweedle  dum.  All  the  miracles  of  modern  science  become 


118  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

ministering  angels  to  do  his  bidding.  "  He  that  believeth  in 
in  me,  the  works  that  I  do  shall  he  do  also ;  and  greater  works 
than  these  shall  he  do." 

The  number  of  his  helpers  increases  every  day.  He  meets 
them  on  the  street  car.  He  finds  them  in  the  saloon.  He  dis- 
covers them  in  the  churches.  He  is  accosted  by  them  in  the 
busy  market  place.  He  seeks  them  nowhere.  He  finds 
them  everywhere.  Simply  because  he  is  following  his  Master. 
Simply  because  he  has  quit  talking  and  has  gone  to  work. 
That  is  the  secret  of  it. 

The  number  of  his  petitioners  increases  every  day.  He 
finds  them  where  no  organized  charity  can  enter ;  where  no 
proselyting  impertinence  can  penetrate.  He  finds  hearts  sore  and 
hearts  sick,  where  the  missionary  could  only  do  harm  ;  he  finds 
them  where  pious,  poor-pussying  would  not  be  allowed.  And 
what  is  better  than  all  this,  he  sets  other  men  to  finding  these 
things  out  also ;  not  by  exhortation,  but  by  example.  Oh,  the 
pity  of  it,  that  the  plain  gospel  of  Jesus  should  have  become 
so  twisted,  so  perverted  that  anyone  could  have  supposed  that 
any  work  beside  this  is  Christian  work — that  any  other  minis- 
try than  this  is  Christian  ministry.  It  was  this  kind  of  work 
that  Jesus  did.  He  did  no  other  work. 

It  was  in  the  midst  of  this  morning's  work  that  Dr.  Talk- 
well  was  interrupted  by  a  visit  from  a  city  clergyman.  He 
explained  that  he  had  called  to  interest  Dr.  Talkwell  in  a 
scheme  to  help  the  poor  of  the  city.  It  was  proposed  to  raise 
money  from  each  congregation  and  put  the  whole  into  the 
hands  of  a  city  missionary  to  distribute  among  the  poor  as  he 
thought  best.  Dr.  Talkwell  asked :  "  Why  is  it  proposed  to 
have  the  clergyman  who  raise  the  money  pay  it  over  to  some 
one  else  to  disburse  ?  ^ 

The  clergyman  replied  :  u  Why  I  suppose  that  the  preach- 
ers who  raise  the  money  would  not  have  time  to  look  up  the 
needy  ones,  or  if  they  did  have  time  they  would  not  know 
where  to  find  them." 


A    TALK    ON    ALMS-GIVING.  11» 

uWhat!"  exclaimed  Dr.  Talkwell.  "  Haven't  time  to 
find  the  poor ;  do  not  know  where  they  are  ?  Are  you  talking 
of  Christian  ministers  when  you  say  these  things  ?  Do  you 
mean  to  say  that  there  is  a  Christian  minister  in  this  city  who 
either  has  not  the  time  or  knowledge  to  intelligently  disburse 
the  offerings  of  his  own  church  to  the  poor  ?  A  professed 
Christian  minister  who  has  no  time  to  visit  the  poor,  and  does 
not  know  where  to  find  them  if  he  does  have  the  time,  is  as 
absurd  as  a  merchant  who  has  no  store  or  customers — a  teacher 
who  has  no  school  or  scholars. 

"  If  it  be  true  that  neither  you  nor  the  other  ministers 
know  who  or  where  the  poor  are,  how  did  you  come  to  know 
that  this  other  man,  who  calls  himself  a  missionary,  knows  any 
more  about  the  poor  than  you  do  ? " 

u  Oh,  well, "  replied  the  clergyman,  "  it  is  supposed  that 
a  missionary  who  spends  all  his  time  with  the  poor  would 
know  more  about  them  than  the  regular  pastor,  is  it  not  ?  " 

"  But  you  have  no  moral  right  to  deal  with  suppositions 
in  this  matter.  If  you  collect  money  of  your  people  with  the 
understanding  that  it  is  to  be  used  for  the  poor  of  this  city,  you 
are  bound  on  your  honor  to  see  that  it  is  so  used.  You  have 
no  moral  right  to  guess  or  suppose  in  such  matters.  You  should 
know.  I  have  quit  soliciting  money  for  any  purpose.  As  for 
myself,  I  have  no  money.  If  I  had  I  should  feel  it  my  per- 
sonal duty  to  see  that  it  was  wisely  used  for  the  benefit  of  the 
resident  poor.  My  conscience  would  not  allow  me  to  shirk 
this  duty  on  anyone  else.  It  seems  to  me  certain  that  this 
missionary,  who  is  so  anxious  to  distribute  other  people's  alms, 
can  hardly  have  the  example  of  Jesus  in  mind  when  he  does 
so.  Jesus  did  nothing  of  this  sort.  He  told  the  rich  man  to 
sell  what  he  had  and  distribute  it  to  the  poor.  This  so-called 
missionary  would  have  said :  '  Sell  what  you  have  and  bring 
the  proceeds  to  me  and  I  will  distribute  it.'  I  should  do  a 
good  deal  of  thinking  first  and  watching  afterwards  if  I  gave 
money  to  such  an  enterprise,  I  think." 


120  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

"  You  do  not  mean  to  infer."  replied  the  clergyman,  uthat 
&ny  of  this  money  will  be  misappropriated  ? " 

"  I  did  not  intend  to  infer  anything,  "  answered  Dr.  Talk- 
well,  u  but  I  did  intend  to  distinctly  state  that  if  you  or  any 
other  man  collect  money  from  the  people  of  this  citv,  with  the 
understanding  that  such  money  is  to  be  used  for  the  benefit  of 
the  poor  of  this  city,  that  you  have  taken  upon  yourselves  the 
moral  obligation  to  see  that  the  money  is  so  used.  If  you  do 
not  do  this,  and  the  money  you  raise  is  used  wholly  or  partly 
for  the  benefit  of  non-residents,  you  have  flim-flammed  the 
people,  and  the  whole  lot  of  you  deserve  to  be  sent  to  the 
work-house,  as  they  do  other  flim-flam mers.  If  you  know 
that  such  money  is  to  be  used  solely  for  the  benefit  of  resi- 
dents of  this  city,  it  should  be  so  stated  when  you  raise  the 
money.  If  you  know  that  it  will  be  partly  or  wholly  used  for 
the  benefit  of  tramps,  it  should  be  so  stated  that  the  people 
may  know'to  what  sort  of  an  enterprise  they  are  giving.  But 
if,  on  the  other  hand,  you  do  not  know  how  this  money  will 
be  used,  whether  for  the  benefit  of  residents  or  non-residents-, 
it  is  nothing  less  than  dishonesty  for  you  to  fail  to  make  this 
-clear  to  those  of  whom  you  solicit  money.  Fraud  is  fraud, 
•even  though  it  be  a  pious  fraud." 


WHAT   DID  JESUS   DO? 


What  Would  Jesus  Do  If  He  Were  a  Carpenter?" 


iHKOUGH  the  influence  of  a  very  good  book  entitled 
"  In  His  Steps,"  it  has  become  quite  the  thing  now- 
adays  to  ask  ourselves  every  day  "  what  would 
Jesus  do  if  he  were  in  our  place?  What  would 
Jesus  do  if  he  were  the  editor  of  a  metropolitan  newspaper  ? 
What  would  Jesus  do  if  he  were  the  president  of  a  railroad 
company  ?  What  would  Jesus  do  if  he  were  a  merchant,  a 
lawyer,  a  school  teacher,  a  musician,"  etc.,  etc.  These  are  very 
suggestive  questions,  but  I  feel  inclined  to  carry  these  ques- 
tions a  little  farther. 

For  instance,  u  What  would  Jesus  do  if  he  were  a  carpen- 
ter?" What  did  he  do  when  he  was  a  carpenter  ?  All  tra- 
ditions agree  that  Jesus  was  a  carpenter.  He  probably  con- 
tinued in  this  vocation  until  he  was  about  thirty  years  old. 
Then  he  began  his  mission  of  gospel  ministry.  He  was  a 
carpenter  no  longer.  He  became  a  minister  of  the  gospel,  a 
bearer  of  good  tidings  to  the  poor,  a  shepherd  to  the  lost 
sheep,  a  friend  of  the  publicans  and  sinners.  He  quit  carpen- 
tering when  he  became  a  minister.  His  mission  to  the  people 
was  incompatible  with  a  salary,  with  the  possession  of  prop- 
erty, with  official  dignity,  with  earthly  power  or  vocation  of 
any  sort.  His  power  was  the  power  of  example,  the  power  of 
truth.  His  vocation  was  the  vocation  of  the  shepherd,  who 
left  the  ninety  and  nine  sheep  of  the  fold  to  search  for  the  lost 
one  wandering  in  the  bleak  mountains  of  degradation  and 
despair. 


122  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

What  would  Jesus  do  if  he  were  a  carpenter  ?  He  would 
quit  carpentering  if  he  wished  to  become  a  minister  of  the 
gospel.  That  is  what  he  would  do.  At  least  that  is  what  he 
did  do.  What  would  Jesus  do  if  he  were  the  editor  of  a  news- 
paper? He  would  quit  the  newspaper  business  and  enter  the 
work  of  a  gospel  minister.  What  did  he  tell  Andrew,  the 
fisherman,  to  do?  To  quit  fishing  and  he  would  make  him  a 
fisher  of  men  —  a  minister.  This  is  what  he  required  of  each 
of  his  disciples.  A  complete  renunciation  of  worldly,  remun- 
erative business,  an  unconditional  surrender  of  mind  and 
body  to  the  unremunerative,  impractical  calling  of  the  gospel 
ministry. 

If  the  question  was,  u  what  would  Jesus  advise  an  editor, 
a  railroad  man,  a  carpenter  to  do,"  it  would  be  easy  to  give  an 
answer,  as  he  put  himself  on  record  many  times.  He  would 
tell  such  people  to  keep  the  lawr.  He  would  have  said,  "  If 
thou  wilt  enter  into  life,  keep  the  commandments."  This  is 
what  he  told  everybody.  He  came  'k  not  to  destroy  the  law, 
but  to  fulfill  the  law."  He  said  just  what  Moses  or  Elijah  or 
any  other  good  man  would  have  said.  He  had  nothing  new  to- 
offer  on  moral  conduct.  He  had  new  and  better  rules  for 
keeping  the  law,  such  as,  u  Love  is  the  fulfilling  of  all  law,'r 
u  As  ye  would  that  others  should  do  unto  you,  do  ye  even  so- 
unto  them." 

While  Jesus  remained  a  carpenter  he  was,  no  doubt,  a 
good  and  faithful  workman,  receiving  pay  for  his  labor  like 
other  men.  But  when  he  began  his  mission  as  a  minister  of 
the  gospel  he  became  poorer  than  the  poorest.  He  had  no 
place  to  lay  his  head.  He  received  no  pay,  had  no  home ;  he 
relied  on  the  hospitality  of  those  to  whom  he  ministered.  He 
slept  where  night  overtook  him.  He  rested  where  fatigue 
overcame  him.  He  ate  where  hunger  found  him.  His  pecul- 
iar mission  demanded  all  this  of  him. 

In  order  to  really  go  to  the  poor,  the  hungry,  the  over- 
burdened, he  must  become  like  them.  He' must  show  them 


WHAT    DID    JESUS    DO?  123 

that  the  peace  and  joy  he  came  to  bring  could  not  be  shaken 
by  these  things.  So  long  as  he  allowed  himself  any  earthly 
comfort  or  privilege  they  could  not  have,  so  long  his  life  could 
not  demonstrate  his  teachings.  He  must  become  as  one  of 
them.  Then  he  could  teach  as  one  having  authority.  Then 
could  he  say,  u  I  am  the  way,"  not  "  I  can  tell  you  the  way,n 
but  u  I  am  the  way." 

Blessed  are  ye  when  men  shall  revile  you,  blessed  are  ye 
poor,  blessed  are  ye  who  hunger ;  he  not  only  taught  these 
things,  but  he  demonstrated  them.  He  was  blessed,  although 
he  was  reviled  of  men  ;  he  was  poor.  He  was  hungry.  There 
was  no  way  to  bring  these  truths  to  the  world.  He  must 
drink  the  cup  of  human  suffering  to  the  bitter  dregs,  and.  in 
spite  of  them  all  he  had  a  joy  the  world  could  neither  give 
nor  take  away.  Could  neither  give  (as  he  refused  such  joys 
as  earth  can  give),  could  not  take  away  (as  he  drank  the  cup 
of  earthly  sorrow  to  the  last  drop.) 

To  this  kind  of  life  he  called  his  ministers.  He  did  not 
call  many  ministers.  Only  twelve  during  his  life  time.  Only 
twelve  of  all  those  who  heard  him  and  loved  him.  He  had  a 
message  for  the  whole  world.  But  his  messengers  were  chosen 
from  many.  Many  were  called  but  few  were  chosen.  The 
holy  spirit  has  been  calling  a  few  here  and  there  ever  since. 

Chosen  for  what  ?  To  enjoy  priestly  privileges  or  wield 
ecclesiastical  powers  ?  Not  at  all !  Chosen  for  a  service  of 
worldly  sacrifice  and  humble  ministration.  He  washed  his 
disciples'  feet  to  illustrate  the  function  of  the  real  minister. 
A  mean  service,  according  to  worldly  wisdom.  Called  to  lose 
their  lives  that  they  may  make  others  rich  in  spiritual  gifts ; 
called  to  bear  all  the  hate,  the  ignominy,  the  poverty,  the 
false  accusations  this  world  can  invent  in  order  to  prove  to 
the  world  that  real  poverty,  real  riches,  can  neither  be  given 
nor  taken  away  by  the  world. 

There  is  a  sense  in  which  every  man  can  carry  the  gospel 
to  his  neighbor.  Deeds  of  kindness,  words  of  sympathy, 


124  DR.     TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

acts  of  genuine  fraternity — all  these  carry  the  gospel  from 
man  to  man.  But  that  Jesus  intended  to  institute  a  special 
gospel  ministry,  there  can  be  no  doubt.  That  he  intended  to 
call  some  men  apart  from  all  worldly  employment,  giving 
their  whole  time  to  ministrations  among  the  unfortunate,  is 
very  certain.  How  anyone  can  read  the  New  Testament  and 
reach  any  other  conclusion  is  a  curious  enigma.  Unfortu- 
nately, this  doctrine  has  been  held  by  men  who  took  advan- 
tage of  it  to  claim  for  the  gospel  ministry  special  privileges, 
special  powers  and  special  distinctions.  Such  claims  are 
exactly  the  reverse  of  the  truth.  Gospel  ministers  have  taken 
upon  themselves  special  responsibilities,  special  hardships 
and  special  self-sacrifice.  Instead  of  gaining  the  world,  they 
have  lost  the  world. 

On  the  other  hand,  there  are  those  who  deny  that  Jesus 
intended  to  establish  any  special  ministry;  that  he  instituted 
no  special  class  of  men  to  do  this  work ;  that  the  editor,  the 
carpenter,  the  blacksmith,  the  school  teacher,  is  just  as  much 
a  minister  of  the  gospel  as  any  one  else,  if  he  only  chooses  to 
be ;  that  the  gospel  minister  is  simply  a  good  man  or  woman, 
performing  every  duty,  keeping  every  obligation.  This  view 
of  gospel  ministry  is  especially  attractive  to  those  persons 
who  wish  to  pose  as  gospel  ministers  and  yet  shirk  the  respon- 
sibility of  real  gospel  ministry.  This  view  of  the  gospel 
minister  is  ably  defended  by  that  preacher  who  wishes  to 
enjoy  every  luxury  and  comfort  this  world  can  give,  and  at  the 
same  time  satisfy  himself  that  he  is  following  his  Master,  Jesus. 

Real  gospel  ministers  are  needed  in  the  world  today  as 
much  as  ever.  While  there  are,  doubtless,  more  of  such  in 
this  age  than  ever  before,  yet  it  is  a  strange  circumstance  that 
this  function  has  gradually  shifted  from  the  so-called  minis- 
terial class  to  the  laymen.  The  work  of  ecclesiastical  propa- 
ganda and  theological  proselyting  has,  little  by  little,  in  the 
churches,  taken  the  place  of  gospel  ministry.  The  real  work 
of  Jesus  is  mostly  done  by  secular  enterprise.  In  the  Master's 
work  it  is,  perhaps,  more  true  than  ever  before  that  those  who 
say  u  I  go,"  do  not  go,  while  those  who  say  u  I  go  not,"  really 
do  go. 


A   USELESS   CHURCH. 


Why  Stand  Ye  Here  Idle?"   "Because  No  Man  Hath  Hired  Us."— 
The  Way  of  Salvation  is  the  Way  of  Service. 


LOCAL  clergyman  called  on  Dr.  Talkwell  the  other 
day  to  get  his  opinion  on  a  question  that  had  been 
troubling  him  seriously.  He  said:  " My  church  is 
getting  on  fairly  well  as  churches  go.  We  have  a 
very  wise  and  pushing  board  of  managers  and  I  am  succeed- 
ing tolerably  well  in  drawing  an  audience,  but  as  a  church  we 
are  doing  nothing  except  to  keep  the  thing  running.  I  preach, 
they  listen,  and  then  go  home  to  dinner.  Then  I  preach  again, 
then  they  go  home  to  sleep. '  I  rack  my  brain  to  invent 
something  to  preach  about,  and  they  rack  their  brains  to  raise 
money  to  pay  the  choir,  the  sexton,  the  taxes,  the  running 
expenses  and  my  salary. 

u  Then,  of  course,  we  have  young  people's  meeting,  but  it 
is  quite  pathetic  to  witness  their  futile  attempts  to  keep  up  an 
interest  in  these  meetings.  They  have  nothing  to  talk  about, 
nothing  practical  to  do;  in  short,  there  seems  to  be  no  rational 
reason  for  their  meeting  whatever.  The  same  general  want  of 
purpose  is  apparent  in  our  Sunday  school  and  prayer  meeting. 
Now,  this  in  brief,  is  our  trouble.  It  grows  worse  every  year. 
We  want  something  to  do,  some  practical  Christian  work. 
"  If  we  had  something  to  do  I  would  have  something  to 
preach  about,  the  young  people  would  have  something  to 
talk  about ;  we  would  have  something  to  pray  for,  and  confer 
over;  we  would  have  something  fresh  to  teach  the  young  in 
our  Sunday  school.  As  it  is,  we  harp  over  and  over  again  the 


126  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

same  old  things,  all  good  enough  in  their  way,  but  long  since 
antiquated. 

u  I  have  watched  your  radical  departure  from  church  cus- 
toms with  interest,  and  while  I  do  not  quite  follow  you  in  all 
of  your  views,  I  am  inclined  to  think  you  are  on  the  right 
track.  At  least  your  acquaintance  with  the  city  and  its  religi- 
ous needs  may  enable  you  to  make  some  suggestions  as  to 
practical  church  work.  Can  you  tell  us  what  to  do  to  be 
saved  from  spiritual  dry  rot  and  theological  dyspepsia  ? " 

To  all  of  the  clergyman's  remarks  Dr.  Talkwell  listened 
with  close  attention  and  sympathetic  interest.  He  hesitated  a 
moment  before  venturing  a  reply.  In  that  moment  of  hesita- 
tion a  silent  prayer  to  the  Father  of  all  Wisdom  was  offered, 
that  the  right  words  might  be  said.  This  habit  of  silent 
prayer  in  all  emergencies  began  in  the  doctor's  history  as  soon 
as  he  discarded  all  ecclesiastical  crutches,  and  the  habit  is 
becoming  more  and  more  a  necessity  with  him. 

"  I  feel  deeply  the  confidence  you  have  shown  in  me  by 
asking  my  advice  in  such  matters,"  said  Dr.  Talkwell  at  last, 
u  and  I  sincerely  pray  that  I  may  be  able  to  help  you  in  your 
•dilemma.  You  have  stated  the  case  exactly,  and  what  you  say 
of  your  own  church  applies  to  many  others  equally  well,  I  fear. 
There  is  nothing  the  church  so  sorely  needs  today  as  some- 
thing tangible,  something  rational  to  do.  Not  money,  not 
membership,  not  buildings,  not  scholarship,  not  anything  do 
they  need  so  much  as  sensible,  practical  Christian  work. 

"  I  know  by  painful  experience  what  it  is  to  be  the  pastor 
of  a  church,  with  all  the  machinery  needed  for  good  work, 
with  an  ample  following  of  men  and  women  ready  to  obey  any 
specific  request,  lacking  nothing,  in  fact,  but  a  clear,  practical 
notion  of  what  I  wished  to  do.  Since  I  have  withdrawn  from 
the  necessity  of  keeping  this  useless,  ecclesiastical  tread- 
mill moving,  I  have  found  many  things  which  the  church 
might  be  doing,  not  only  for  the  good  of  humanity,  but  for  its 
own  good.  The  churches  are  being  rapidly  deserted  by  prac- 


A    USELESS    CHURCH.  137 

tical  men  and  women,  and  unless  it  very  soon  outlines  for 
itself  some  work  that  will  appeal  to  the  judgment  and  enthu- 
siasm of  the  business  and  working  people,  many  churches 
might  as  well  stop  entirely  the  farce  of  holding  public 
services. 

"  Let  me  see.  Where  is  your  church  located  ? "  asked 
the  doctor,  after  a  pause. 

"  On  the  east  side  of  the  city,"  replied  the  clergyman. 
"  The  people  in  the  bounds  of  my  parish  are  generally  well- 
to-do,  a  great  many  of  whom  belong  to  churches  down-town. 
There  seems  to  be  little  or  no  field  for  mission  work,  and  in 
our  public  services  we  have  to  contend  with  down-town 
•churches,  which  have  attractions  with  which  we  cannot  suc- 
cessfully compete.  Our  entire  energies  are  expended  in  try- 
ing to  hold  the  ground  we  have  already  gained." 

"  Your  location  was  evidently  selected  with  a  view  to  get 
as  far  as  possible  from  the  real  work  of  a  Christian  minister," 
remarked  Dr.  Talkwell,  "  but  there  are  several  fields  white  for 
the  harvest  where  East  Side  churches  enjoy  special  advan- 
tages, I  will  mention  one,  only,  for  your  consideration. 

"  Southeast  of  this  city  is  an  institution  known  as  the 
Infirmary,  where  nearly  400  poor,  stranded  souls  are  housed 
together  waiting  for  death  to  ring  down  the  curtain  on  the 
last  act  of  their  sorrowful  careers.  This  multitude  of  human 
shipwrecks  is  made  up  of  many  creeds  and  nationalities. 
Some  of  them  have  been  prosperous  and  prominent  citizens, 
some  hopeless  vagabonds.  Some  are  bright,  some  idiotic, 
some  sweetly  content,  some  morbidly  dissatisfied.  But  all  are 
pitiful  in  the  extreme ;  all,  for  one  reason  or  another,  proper 
material  for  genuine  Christian  ministration. 

"Now  these  people  are  nearer  to  your  church  than  to 
churches  down  town.  This  is  your  natural  advantage.  Again, 
you  have  less  of  this  kind  of  work  available  than  the  down- 
town churches  have.  You  will  find  the  managers  of  this 
institution  quite  willing  to  allow  you  all  reasonable  privileges 


128  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

to  do  Christian  work.     There  is  a  good  chapel    for  services, 
commodious  grounds  and  large  rooms  for  social  intercourse. 

"  Grandfathers  and  grandmothers  in  all  stages  of  senility 
and  infirmity  are  there.  New-born  children  with  no  father,, 
and  perhaps  worse  than  no  mother,  are  there  also.  The  lame 
and  the  lunatic,  the  cunning  and  the  curious,  are  found  at  this 
place  in  all  phases  of  dejection  and  degeneration.  These  are 
they  of  whom  Jesus  spoke  when  he  asked  Simon,  l  Lovest 
thou  me?"  Simon  answered,  '  Yea,  Lord,  thou  knowest  I 
love  thee.'  '  Feed  my  lambs.'  It  was  of  such  as  these  he 
spoke." 

uBut  I  fail  to  see  how  either  I  or  my  church  can  do  any- 
thing for  these  people,"  said  the  clergyman. 

*c  Yes,  I  expected  you  would  say  that.  Allow  me,  how- 
ever, to  attempt  to  outline  a  plan,  subject,  of  course,  to  change 
and  revision,  as  the  wisdom  of  experience  dictates,  which  may 
help  you.  First,  let  me  caution  you  against  going  at  this  work 
as  reformers  or  opposers  of  anything  or  anybody.  Not  a  sus- 
picion of  politics  or  the  slightest  tinge  of  proselyting  should 
be  exhibited.  If  your  theology  is  not  broad  enough  to  carry 
the  gospel  to  Jew  and  Gentile,  Catholic  and  Protestant  with- 
out disturbing  anyone's  theological  notions,  stay  away  by  all 
means.  If  your  love  for  humanity  is  not  strong  enough  to 
meet  bravely  the  criticism  of  some,  and  misrepresentation  of 
others,  do  not  attempt  it.  Remember  that  if  you  attempt  to 
follow,  the  Master  you  will  be  sure  to  meet  some  of  his  crosses. 

"  One  word  more  before  I  proceed  to  the  particulars  of 
the  suggestions  I  was  going  to  make.  All  beginnings  seem 
small  and  insignificant.  The  gospel  is  like  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  very  small,  but  is  capable  of  great  development.  At 
first  you  will  have  some  very  uninviting  and  unpromising  work 
to  do.  Once  begun,  however,  the  work  will  grow  in  unex- 
pected ways  and  directions. 

u  I  wish  to  repeat  that  real  Christian  work  always  begins 
with  small  things.  This  is  so  in  any  real  work.  If  I  want  a 


A    USELESS    CHURCH.  129 

living  tree  I  must  plant  the  seed  and  wait  for  the  slow  pro- 
cesses of  germination  and  growth.  A  very  small  seed,  a  very 
unpromising  shoot,  a  miserable  little  shrub  with  tiny  twigs,  is 
all  that  has  seemingly  resulted  from  years  of  waiting.  But 
the  elements  of  growth  are  there.  The  hidden  vigor  of  living 
vitality  is  there,  which  sooner  or  later,  will  begin  to  show 
itself  in  larger  results. 

"  But  if  I  am  content  to  have  an  artificial  tree,  a  dead 
tree,  a  tree  that  has  no  inherent  vitality,  I  can  get  such  a  tree 
ready  made,  already  grown  in  a  single  day.  Place  it  beside 
the  little  twigs  for  which  I  have  waited  two  or  three  years, 
and  the  dead  tree  towers  over  it  in  patronizing  superiority. 
And  yet,  everybody  knows  that  that  little  living  twig  is  worth 
more  than  a  thousand  dead  trees.  The  dead  tree  begins  at  the 
zenith  of  its  glory  and'  gradually  degenerates  into  worthless 
insignificance.  The  living  tree  begins  in  apparent  insignifi- 
cance and  grows  into  majestic  beauty  and  strength. 

"It  is  just  so  with  religion  and  theology.  Religion  is  a 
living  vitality.  Theology  is  an  artificial  structure.  Religion 
begins  as  a  small  thing,  but  having  real  life,  it  gradually 
becomes  a  great  thing.  Theology  consists  of  creeds  and  out- 
ward observances,  is  man-made  and  has  no  inherent  life. 
Theological  enterprises  generally  start  off  with  a  big  boom,  a 
wonderful  display  of  property  and  people.  But  true  religious 
work  never  begins  this  way;  it  always  begins  with  small 
things.  Jesus  in  describing  the  growth  of  real  gospel  work, 
said :  L  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  a  grain  of  mustard 
seed,  which  a  man  took  and  sowed  in  his  field,  which  indeed 
is  less  than  all  seeds,  but  when  it  is  grown,  it  is  greater  than 
the  herbs  and  becometh  a  tree,  so  that  the  birds  of  the  heavens 
come  and  lodge  in  the  branches  thereof.' 

"  Again  :  l  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  like  unto  leaven, 
which  a  woman  took  and  hid  in  three  measures  of  meal,  till  it 
was  all  leavened.'  This  shows  what  Jesus  thought  of  gospel 
work.  It  is  a  little  thing  at  first.  His  own  life  was  seemingly 


130  KEV.    TALK  WELL'S    SKETCHES. 

a  small  affair.  He  headed  no  great  enterprise.  The  greatest 
things  he  ever  said  were  wayside  conversations  or  confidential 
talks.  His  mission,  viewed  from  any  worldly  standpoint,  was 
a  failure,  but  the  life  of  his  personal  contact  had  been  imparted ; 
the  seed  had  been  planted.  A  living  germ  had  been  fructified, 
and  could  do  nothing  else  but  grow.  Organizations  could  not 
help  or  hinder  its  growth.  Ecclesiastical  machinery  could  and 
did  pervert  its  growth,  but  could  not  entirely  defeat  it. 

u  If  you  begin  the  work  of  Christian  ministry  at  the 
Infirmary  with  the  expectation  that  in  six  months  or  a  year 
you  are  going  to  have  some  dramatic  results  to  parade  before 
the  people,  or  startling  statistics  to  bawl  and  bray  to  admiring 
multitudes  (like  the  ticket  seller  of  a  sideshow),  if  you  go  into 
this  work  with  any  such  expectation  or  wish,  or  go  into  any 
other  real  Christian  work  in  this  way,  you  are  sure  to  be 
•disappointed. 

u  In  the  first  place,  I  should  advise  you  to  make  several 
preliminary  visits  to  this  institution,  get  acquainted  with  the 
directors,  the  superintendent  and  the  doctor  in  charge  of  the 
institution.  Get  their  confidence  that  what  you  desire  to  do 
has  in  it  no  hostile  feeling  or  sinister  motive.  As  soon  as  they 
discover  that  your  purpose  is  only  to  bring  gospel  fraternity 
and  brotherly  sympathy,  you  will  probably  have  their  consent, 
-at  least,  if  not  their  active  co-operation. 

"  You  will  find  this  institution,  like  all  other  similar  insti- 
tutions, managed  by  men  who  accepted  the  authority  they 
^njoy  because  of  the  salary  attached.  It  was  probably  no 
humanitarian  or  philanthropic  impulse  that  prompted  them  to 
seek  this  work.  These  positions  were  sought  as  the  means  of 
livelihood  and  were  secured  by  the  same  means  that  any  other 
political  position  is  secured.  This  is  not  intended  as  a  stigma 
upon  them  or  their  work,  for  it  applies  to  all  similar  institu- 
tions of  this  and  many  other  cities.  It  is  not  likely  that  any 
of  them  would  claim  that  they  would  wish  to  do  this  kind  of 
work  if  there  was  no  salary  attached.  They  would  reply,  and 


A    USELESS    CHURCH.  131 

very  justly,  that  those  who  minister  to  the  churches  have 
precisely  the  same  attitude  toward  their  work.  It  is  very  safe 
to  say  that  a  church  that  pays  no  salary  would  have  no 
preacher,  except,  perhaps,  the  Quakers. 

u  After  consulting  with  the  managers  of  this  institution 
you  might  find  the  way  opened  to  spend  the  evening  that  you 
have  been  devoting  to  what  is  called  a  prayer  meeting  —  to 
devote  this  evening  to  the  infirmary.  Call  your  young  people 
to  your  assistance  and  get  up  some  sort  of  helpful,  interesting 
and  amusing  entertainment  every  Wednesday  evening  —  reci- 
tations, singing,  readings  and  whatever  may  suggest  itself  as 
being  proper.  As  soon  as  you  find  your  church  and  these 
people  laughing  together  at  the  same  humor,  or  crying 
together  over  the  same  pathos,  or  enjoying  together  the  same 
music,  or  being  uplifted  by  the  same  inspiration,  or  singing 
together,  you  have  established  something  in  common  between 
you  and  them.  This  is  the  first  step  to  take  toward  anyone 
you  wish  to  benefit;  find  something  in  common  —  something 
that  can  be  mutually  enjoyed. 

u  No  sooner  will  you  have  begun  this  work  in  the  right 
spirit,  than  acquaintances  and  intimacies  will  begin  to  spring 
up  between  the  two  companies  of  human  souls,  who  have 
never  before  known  each  other.  No  doubt  a  Sunday  service 
would  soon  follow,  even  though  it  be  nothing  but  a  song 
service  by  your  young  people.  You  might  alternate  with 
your  young  people  Sunday  morning  or  evening  in  holding- 
services,  leaving  them  in  charge  of  your  services  when 
you  preach  over  there,  and  allowing  them  to  hold  the  same 
song  service  in  your  church  in  the  place  of  your  sermon.  Of 
course,  these  are  only  suggestions  ;  a  thousand  and  one  things 
will  occur  to  you  as  you  go  on  with  the  work.  Get  it  out  of 
your  head  as  quickly  as  possible  that  in  order  to  run  a  church 
successfully  you  have  got  to  preach  two  or  three  sermons 
every  week.  The  people  are  getting  tired  of  this  sort  of 
thing,  and  the  preachers  are  getting  tired  of  it. 


132  DR.    TALKWELt'S    SKETCHES. 

"  It  is  simply  a  custom  that  has  outlived  its  usefulness. 
One  good  rousing  sermon  by  some  live  worker  in  Christian 
ministry  would  do  more  good  than  twenty  sermons  preached 
by  some  one  who  has  nothing  in  particular  to  say.  A  preacher 
delivering  a  sermon  simply  because  he  has  been  paid  for  doing 
so  and  it  is  expected  of  him,  rather  than  that  he  has  anything 
to  say;  and  an  audience  listening  to  this  preacher  because  they 
have  paid  for  it  and  it  is  expected  of  them,  rather  than  that 
they  have  any  interest  in  what  he  is  saying,  is  a  serio-comic 
performance  fit  to  make  the  gods  weep  and  laugh  alternately. 

u  Post  yourself  on  the  laws  governing  this  institution  and 
the  history  of  it.  Get  the  directors  or  the  superintendent  to 
deliver  addresses  before  your  church  on  the  effects  and  defects 
of  the  work  it  is  doing.  Become  acquainted  with  as  many  as 
possible  of  the  inmates.  Many  of  them  have  relatives  in  the 
city  who  would  appreciate  your  work.  This  might  be  a  means 
of  enlarging  your  work  in  the  city,  getting  into  new  channels 
of  influence.  Make  your  people  acquainted  with  every  detail 
of  the  direct  and  indirect  influence  of  this  institution  upon 
our  city,  until  your  people  will  become  known  as  reliable 
authority  on  these  subjects. 

"  You  will  soon  find  that  you  will  be  consulted  by  people 
who  are  in  some  way  interested  in  this  institution,  and  little 
by  little  you  will  become  a  real  minister  to  a  large  number  of 
people  who  are  in  some  way  affected  by  this  institution. 
There  is  no  end  to  the  work  that  will  gradually  grow  up  around 
you.  The  election  of  a  new  trustee,  the  appointment  of  a  new 
superintendent  or  matron,  the  death  of  an  old  pauper  or  help- 
less widow  would  become  themes  of  daily  conversations  with 
the  people  of  your  church,  which  will  take  the  place  of  petty 
gossip  and  trivial  formalities  with  which  they  now  spend  their 
precious  time. 

''Finally,  what  do  you  suppose  would  be  the  effect  on 
the  institution  itself  to  know  that  the  eyes  of  two  or  three 


A    USELESS    CHURCH.  133 

hundred  people  were  upon  them  ;  that  the  hearts  of  two  or 
three  hundred  people  were  beating  in  sympathy  with  the 
inmates ;  that  the  energies  of  two  or  three  hundred  people 
were  pledged  to  sincere  devotion  to  the  help,  the  defense 
and  the  friendship  of  everybody  in  any  wise  connected  with 
it?  What  encouragement  this  would  be  for  improvement. 
What  discouragement  it  would  be  for  neglect  and  indiffer- 
ence. But  this  is  not  a  theme  for  words ;  action  alone  can 
develop  it.  It  is  an  open  door  to  a  large  work.  It  is  a  field 
white  for  the  harvest." 


A   MODERN    HERESY. 


When  Thou  Doest  Alms,  Let  It  Be  Done  In  Secret.1 


'FTER  spending  the  morning  hour  last  Sunday  in 
answering  questions  on  local  affairs,  Dr.  Talkwell 
said: 

One  of  the  curiosities  of  history  is  the  modern 
conception  of  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  Exactly  those  things 
that  Jesus  forbade  his  desciples  to  do  are  today  regarded  as 
the  special  signs  of  Christian  discipleship.  On  the  other  hand, 
nearly  all  that  he  regarded  as  essential  is  systematically 
ignored.  It  is  the  irony  of  fate  that  nearly  everything  that  he 
strove  to  eradicate  from  the  minds  of  his  followers  is  now 
done  in  his  name,  for  his  sake,  and  professedly  derived  from 
his  teachings. 

'Tis  passing  strange  that  such  plain,  direct  language  as 
Jesus  used  could  be  so  perverted  except  by  deliberate  inten- 
tion. For  instance,  out  of  the  many  things  that  Jesus  taught 
which  have  been  absolutely  reversed  in  practice,  let  us  select 
three — alms-giving,  prayer  and  fasting. 

These  things,  Jesus  taught,  should  be  done  secretly.  No- 
where and  at  no  time  did  he  give  anyone  the  slightest  pretext 
for  supposing  that  they  could  be  done  publicly,  except  in 
direct  violation  of  his  express  directions. 

In  regard  to  alms-giving,  after  warning  his  followers 
against  the  practice  of  those  who  make  their  alms-giving 
public  in  the  street  or  synagogue,  he  said  :  ut  But  when  thou 
doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left  hand  know  what  thy  right  hand 


A     MODHRX     HERESY.  135 

doeth,  that  thine  alms  may  be  secret."  How  can  such  clear 
language  be  misunderstood?  Not  only  should  our  alms  giving 
be  so  secret  that  our  neighbors  do  not  know  it,  but  so  secret 
that  our  left  hand  should  not  know  what  our  right  hand  doeth. 
This  hyperbole  was  used  to  emphasize  his  thought  of  the  im- 
portance of  secrecy  in  this  matter.  For  the  sake  of  those  who 
give  charity,  for  the  sake  of  those  who  receive  charity,  it 
should  be  secret,  sacredly  secret.  Only  then  will  the  Father 
who  seeth  in  secret  recompense  thee.  In  other  words,  it  is 
only  secret  charity  that  accomplishes  the  purposes  intended. 
Charity  ought  to  be  so  indirect,  so  secret,  that  although  the 
recipient  gets  the  full  benefit  of  it,  yet  he  does  not  know  that 
he  has  received  any  charity. 

How  any  one  who  has  a  particle  of  respect  left  for  the 
teachings  of  Jesus  can  consent  to  go  deliberately  into  public 
alms-giving  after  reading  these  sayings  of  his,  is  one  of  the 
puzzles  in  mental  athletics  very  difficult  to  solve.  Here  are 
the  plain  words  of  Jesus,  warning  against  publicity,  command- 
ing the  most  careful  privacy  in  alms-giving  and  yet  his  pro- 
fessed followers  use  every  means  in  their  power  to  give  each 
detail  of  such  work  the  greatest  possible  notoriety.  The  daily  ' 
papers,  the  street  bulletin,  the  public  assembly;  all  are  taxed 
to  the  utmost  to  tickle  the  vanity  of  givers,  in  order  to  get 
more  givers  of  the  same  sort.  Jesus  said:  u  When  thou 
doest  alms,  sound  not  a  trumpet  before  thee,  as  the  hypocrites 
do  in  the  synagogues  and  in  the  streets,  that  they  may  have" 
the  glory  of  men." 

Instead  of  sounding  one  trumpet  on  the  street  and  in  the 
synagogues,  a  thousand  trumpets  are  sounded,  trumpets 
unknown  to  the  primitive  times  in  which  he  spoke.  Every 
facility  of  modern  advertising  is  used  to  publish  abroad  the 
names  of  givers,  the  amounts  given,  and  the  wonderful  good 
that  has  been  and  will  be  done  by  the  self-sacrificing  mana- 
gers. 0,  what  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  words  of  Jesus!  To- 
what  despite  are  his  reasonable  requests  put.  Be  it  said  to 


136  DR.    TALKWElvL'S    SKETCHES. 

the  credit  of  occasionally  one  giver,  however,  the  name  is 
withheld,  either  from  a  sense  of  native  modesty  or  possibly  a 
secular  notion  that  Jesus  has  the  right  of  it.  Such  names  are 
generally  signed  simply  "A  Friend."  Whose  friend  is  not 
stated,  but  from  the  unwillingness  to  make  public  the  gift  it 
may  be  inferred  that  he  is  a  friend  of  Jesus  at  least. 

But,  it  will  be  asked,  how  can  public  charities  or  relief 
organizations  be  carried  on  if  no  publicity  be  given  them  ? 
Perhaps  they  could  not  be  maintained  in  any  other  way.  I  do 
not  know.  Fortunately,  however,  this  is  a  problem  which  the 
follower  of  Jesus  does  not  find  himself  obliged  to  solve.  Jesus 
had  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  such  things.  Neither  by 
word  nor  example  did  he  intimate  that  he  wished  his  disciples 
to  do  anything  of  this  kind.  If  people  would  live  as  Jesus 
wished  them  to,  there  would  be  no  need  of  a  yearly  fit  of 
charity  hysterics.  If  every  day  professed  Christians  were 
practicing  the  Golden  Rule,  then  would  alms-giving  be  in 
secret,  a  sacred  confidence  between  friend  and  friend.  And  if 
we  disregard  the  teachings  of  Jesus  ten  months  in  the  year 
we  must  not  expect  to  make  it  right  by  public  alms-giving  the 
other  two  months.  Both  the  ten  months'  indifference  to  our 
neighbors  and  the  two  months'  loud  voiced  anxiety  over  the 
consequence  of  our  indifference  are  alike  in  direct  violation  of 
the  plain  precepts  of  Jesus. 

Charity  fever  and  ague,  I  call  it.  First  the  ten-month 
chill,  then  the  two-month  fever.  Instead  of  the  even  temper- 
ature of  healthy  Christian  living  the  year  round,  we  have  the 
intermittent  fever  of  a  spasmodic,  ecclesiastical  machine.  If 
the  people  were  taught  that  Jesus  wished  his  followers  to  do 
their  alms-giving  in  secret  and  never,  never,  let  any  one  know 
of  it,  what  a  new  doctrine  this  would  be.  This  would  cer- 
tainly be  •'  new  theology."  And  yet  here  this  doctrine  has 
stood  on  the  first  pages  of  the  sayings  of  Jesus  as  plain  as 
words  could  make  it.  We  have  mouthed  the  words  over  and 
over  again,  taught  our  children  to  say  them,  and  yet  what  a 


A    MODERN    HERESY.  137 

strange  doctrine.  What  a  mischievious  practice  this  would 
be  to  the  present  order  of  things. 

Just  think  of  it.  "  When  thou  doest  alms,  let  not  thy  left 
hand  know  what  thy  right  hand  doeth,  that  thine  alms  may  be 
in  secret."  What  a  heretical  practice  this  would  be.  Such 
alms-giving  could  not  be  organized  at  all.  Even  the  church 
could  not  gather  or  distribute  this  sort  of  alms-giving.  Secret 
alms-giving  could  only  be  carried  on  by  the  direct  contact  of 
giver  and  recipient.  The  third  party  would  pervert  such  gifts 
entirely.  What  a  discouraging  state  of  things  this  would  be 
for  subscription  lists;  for  public  donations  and  even  for  penny 
collections.  What  opportunity  would  be  given  for  men  who 
have  made  themselves  immensely  wealthy  from  the  earnings 
of  other  men  to  pose  as  public  benefactors  and  Christian  gen- 
tlemen ?  What  would  become  of  all  the  pretty  pulpit  orations 
eulogizing  the  Rockefellers,  the  Wanamakers  and  the 
Carnegies? 

The  rule  of  secret  alms-giving  would  necessitate  a  per- 
sonal contact  between  each  giver  and  recipient.  How  disgust- 
ing! Such  alms-giving  could  not  be  done  in  a  hurry,  but 
would  have  to  be  practiced  the  year  round.  How  tiresome ! 
Such  alms-giving  would  need  no  public  office,  no  salaried  offi- 
cials, no  paid  collectors.  How  uninteresting!  Such  alms-giv- 
ing would  necessitate  close  acquaintance  and  actual  friendship 
with  those  who  need  charity.  How  degrading !  And  yet  there 
is  no  other  way  to  obey  Jesus  except  to  keep  our  alms-giving 
secret.  No  learned  quibbling  can  evade  this  plain  conclusion. 
And  yet  we  pay  men  good  salaries  to  make  it  appear  other- 
wise. 


HOW  HYPOCRITES   PRAY. 


"But  When  Thou  Prayest,  Enter  into  Thy  Closet." 


Dr.  Talk  well's  departure  from  the  ordinary 
church  usages  it  has  been  noticed  that  he  had 
omitted  the  usual  stereotyped  prayer.  The  time 
usually  occupied  by  a  spoken  prayer  has  been  de- 
voted to  absolute  silence,  sometimes  broken  by  faint  organ 
chords  of  a  devotional  character.  Whether  this  omission  was 
due  to  a  change  of  opinion  or  not.  has  caused  much  comment. 
Last  Sunday,  after  his  regular  report,  he  devoted  a  few  min- 
utes to  the  subject  of  prayer,  which  explains  his*conduct  in 
this  particular.  He  spoke  as  follows  : 

"  And  when  thou  prayest,  thou  shalt  not  be  as  the  hypo- 
crites are,  for  they  love  to  pray  standing  in  the  synagogues 
and  in  the  corners -of  the  streets.  But  thou,  when  thou  pray- 
est, enter  into  thy  closet,  and  when  thou  hast  shut  thy  door, 
pray  to  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret." 

Now  if  these  words  do  not  mean  that  Christians  should 
not  pray  in  public  places,  either  in  their  places  of  public 
worship,  or  on  the  street  corners,  what  do  they  mean  ?  If  this 
does  not  mean  that  J.esus  wished  his  followers  to  abandon  the 
practice  of  public  prayer,  which  was  common  in  those  days, 
and  pray  only  in  secret,  what  does  it  mean  ?  How  could  lan- 
guage be  made  plainer?  u  When  thou  prayest,"  he  does  not 
say,  sometimes  when  thou  prayest,  or,  as  a  rule  when  thou 
prayest;  but  he  states  without  any  reserve  or  exception, 
u  When  thou  prayest."  His  followers  were  bidden,  not  only 


HOW     HYPOCRITES     PRAY.  13tf 

to  not  stand  on  the  street  corners  when  they  prayed,  or  in 
places  of  public  worship,  but  to  enter  into  their  closets,  and 
for  fear  even  this  express  language  might  not  be  strong 
enough,  he  added,  "  and  when  thou  hast  shut  thy  door,  pray 
to  thy  Father  which  is  in  secret." 

How  could  Jesus  have  selected  stronger  or  plainer  words 
forbidding  public  prayer  and  commanding  silent  prayer?  It 
would  seem  as  if  he  foresaw  that  his  words  would  be  garbled 
and  quibbled  over  and  therefore  determined  to  make  them  so 
direct  and  forcible  that  no  learning  could  evade  them,  or 
stupidity  misunderstand  them. 

Jesus  nowhere  else  said  anything  to  retract  these  words. 
At  no  time  did  he  utter  a  syllable  to  modify  this  terse,  unmis- 
takable prohibition  of  public  prayer.  No  man  can  quote  a 
word  that  fell  from  the  lips  of  Jesus  that  in  any  wise  conflicts 
with  his  first  declaration  that  prayer  should  be  only  in  the 
privacy  of  the  closet,  with  the  door  shut,  in  absolute  secrecy. 
If  Jesus  did  utter  any  words'  authorizing  anyone  to  make 
prayer  a  public  observance,  who  will  quote  them  for  me  ? 
Who  will  tell  me  where  they  may  be  found  ? 

Last  Sunday  night  I  attended  church.  When  I  stepped 
off  the  street  car  a  crowd  of  people  were  assembled  on  the 
corner  of  the  street.  A  man  stood  on  the  street  corner  pray- 
ing very  loudly.  I  could  hear  every  word  he  said  across  the 
street.  After  he  had  finished  a  woman  began  praying.  Ar- 
riving at  the  church  a  trifle  late,  I  was  stopped  at  the  door 
because  a  man  was  standing  in  the  pulpit  praying.  A  large 
congregation  was  assembled.  My  indignation  at  the  flagrant 
violation  of  the  reasonable  admonition  of  Jesus  which  I  had 
just  witnessed  on  the  street  corner  was  not  cooled  when  I 
reached  the  church.  But  here  I  was  compelled  to  stand  fully 
eight  minutes  to  witness  another  disobedience  equally  as 
great.  I  kept  asking  myself:  u  Have  these  people  ever  read 
the  sixth  chapter  of  Matthew  ?  r  Not  only  were  they  praying 
on  the  corner  of  the  streets,  not  only  were  they  praying  stand- 


140  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

ing  in  the  synagogues,  but  they  were  ignoring  every  other 
thing  that  Jesus  said  about  prayer. 

Jesus  said :  "  Use  not  vain  repetitions."  They  were 
using  vain  repetitions  —  repeating  words  that  could  have  no 
other  possible  use  except  to  please  the  vanity  of  those  who 
like  to  make  or  hear  eloquent  prayers.  Jesus  said,  "  The 
heathen  think  they  shall  be  heard  for  their  much  speaking. 
Be  not  like  unto  them,  for  your  Father  knoweth  what  things 
ye  have  need  of  before  ye  ask  Him." 

To  leave  no  room  for  cavil  as  to  what  he  meant  by  "  much 
speaking  "  he  proceeds  to  give  them  a  prayer  which  contains 
just  forty-five  words  (revised  version).  These  words  could  be 
uttered  easily  in  half  a  minute.  Could  I  believe  my  eyes 
when  I  saw  these  followers  of  Jesus  standing  to  pray  in 
exactly  the  same  places  he  forbade  them  to  stand  ?  Could  I 
believe  my  ears  when  I  heard  these  men  saying  exactly  the 
things  which  Jesus  forbade  them  to  say  ?  Could  I  believe  my 
senses  that  I  was  living  in  a  country  where  the  words  of 
Jesus  are  held  sacred,  walking  in  the  streets  of  a  city  where 
the  name  of  Jesus  is  placed  above  all  other  names,  standing 
in  a  church  dedicated  to  the  propagation  of  the  doctrines 
taught  by  Jesus?  Could  I  believe  my  senses  that  I  was 
actually  a  spectator  to  such  public  and  unprovoked,  premedi- 
tated disregard  to  the  gentle  words  of  the  Master  they  profess 
to  follow  ? 

As  I  stood  there  with  uncovered  head  waiting  for  this 
man  who  was  standing  in  the  synagogue  praying,  I  could  not 
help  recalling,  not  only  the  words  of  Jesus  on  this  subject,  but 
his  practice.  It  is  said  of  him,  "  After  he  had  sent  the  multi- 
tudes away  he  went  up  into  the  mountain,  apart,  to  pray. 
And  when  even  was  come  he  was  there  alone."  How  exactly 
this  example  of  Jesus  was  reversed.  This  man  did  not  send 
the  multitude  away  to  pray,  but  on  the  contrary  he  called 
them  together  with  the  deliberate  intention  of  praying  before 
them  as  soon  as  they  were  assembled.  And  again :  when 


HOW    HYPOCRITES    PRAY.  141 

Jesus  came  with  his  desciples  u  unto  a  place  called  Geth- 
semane,"  he  said  unto  the  desciples,  "  sit  ye  here  while  I  go 
and  pray  yonder."  And  when  he  came  back  and  found  his 
disciples  sleeping  he  said  :  "  Could  ye  not  watch  with  me 
one  hour  ? "  u  Again  a  second  time  he  went  away  and  prayed 
....  and  he  came  again  and  found  them  sleeping."  And  on 
another  occasion  it  is  said,  "  and  in  the  morning,  a  great  while 
before  day,  he  went  out  and  departed  into  a  solitary  place, 
and  there  prayed." 

These  glimpses  of  the  habits  of  Jesus  are  sufficient  to 
show  that  they  were  no  idle  words  he  uttered  when  he  advised 
his  followers  to  pray  in  secret.  It  seems  from  this  that  it  was 
the  custom  of  Jesus  to  go  apart  even  from  his  disciples  to 
pray.  In  other  words,  he  practiced  what  he  preached  on  this 
subject,  as  well  as  on  all  other  subjects. 

But  some  will  say,  how  is  this,  Dr.  Talkwell,  did  you  not 
pray  in  public  when  you  were  our  pastor?  Yes,  I  did,  and  I 
used  to  justify  my  conduct  by  .refer  ring  to  those  few  occasions 
when  Jesus  was  suddenly  confronted  by  some  great  grief  or 
agony,  as  at  the  grave  of  Lazarus  and  on  the  cross.  He  gave 
utterance  to  a  mere  sentence  or  exclamation  which  I  had  been 
taught  to  regard  as  examples  of  public  prayer.  And  also  that 
last  meeting  of  Jesus  and  his  disciples  just  before  his  arrest,, 
when  alone  with  his  chosen  few  he  offered  a  prayer.  Yes, 
like  a  drowning  man,  I  grasped  at  these  straws  to  save  the 
church  traditions,  but  I  did  not  fully  realize  in  doing  so  I  was 
setting  aside  the  plain  teachings  and  the  plainer  examples  of 
Jesus  on  this  subject. 

I  have  come  to  believe  that  Jesus  was  right.  Prayer  is 
necessarily  a  private  matter.  It  is  communion  with  God, 
The  secret  place,  where  all  the  world  is  shut  out,  is  the  only 
appropriate  one.  I  do  not  like  to  parade  my  domestic  affairs 
in  public.  Such  things  seem  too  sacred  for  such  use.  How 
much  more  ought  my  communion  with  God  to  seem  too  sacred 
for  public  assemblies  and  street  corners  !  When  I  really  have 


U'Z  REV.    TALKWE-LL'S     SKETCHES. 

anything  to  pray  for  I  do  not  want  anyone  to  hear  but  my 
Pather.  It  is  only  when  I  am  making  a  perfunctory  prayer, 
that  I  can  make  it  fit  for  others  to  hear.  I  pray  no  more  to 
the  public.  I  pray  only  to  God.  It  is  my  new  work  that  has 
changed  my  views  on  this  subject.  I  have  something  to  pray 
for  these  days.  I  need  help  now.  When  I  was  the  prosper- 
ous pastor  of  a  prosperous  church  I  prayed  toward  the  source 
of  my  prosperity — the  church.  I  am  working  for  my  Master 
now,  mostly.  It  is  to  him  I  pray.  I  do  not  need  a  public 
place  or  assembly  for  such  prayers.  I  have  found  the  privacy 
of  the  closet  to  be  all  that  Jesus  recommended.  And  I  begin 
to  understand  that  the  street  corner  and  the  synagogue  are  no 
place  for  sincere  prayer.  Yes,  I  believe  that  Jesus  was  right 
about  it  after  all. 

Next  week  I  will  speak  about  public  fasting. 


HOW   HYPOCRITES   FAST. 


14  But  When  Thou  Fastest,  Appear  not  Unto  Men  to  Fast." 


R.  TALKWELL  said  last  Sunday  : 

The  demoralizing  effect  of  a  well-fed,  much-fed 
and  always-fed  condition  of  the  body  has  been  recog- 
nized from  time  immemorial.  A  vigorous  spiritu- 
ality is  not  expected  where  complete  bodily  satisfaction  exists. 
When  the  body  is  kept  carefully  guarded  from  all  hunger  the 
spirit  sleeps  contentedly.  Fasting  produces  a  spiritual  self- 
consciousness.  An  over-fed  body  acts  as  a  spiritual  opiate. 
"  Man  shall  not  live  by  bread  alone, "  has  been  forgotten  by 
those  who  never  fast.  Much  fasting  produces  spiritual  famine. 
Voluntary  fasting  often  has  as  a  reward  a  spiritual  feast. 

Fasting  has  been  practiced  for  three  distinct  and  entirely 
different  purposes.  It  has  been  practiced  as  a  physiological 
or  hygienic  measure.  It  is  good  for  the  body.  In  some  bodily 
temperaments  fasting  is  absolutely  necessary  to  good  health. 
With  the  concentrated  foods  and  sedentary  habits  of  modern 
civilization,  fasting  is  an  ever  increasing  necessity  to  the 
preservation  of  good  digestion  and  the  prevention  of  acute 
disease. 

Fasting  has  been  practiced  as  a  penance.  As  a  self- 
inflicted  punishment  for  sins  committed,  fasting  has  always 
been  found  a  convenient  cudgel.  Fasting  as  a  penance  to 
atone  for  excessive  indulgence  has  some  incidental  benefit, 
but  is  liable  to  degeneration  into  license  for  intemperance. 
If  the  fast  for  Lent  justifies  the  preceding  carnival,  then  both 
had  better  be  omitted. 


144  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

Fasting  has  also  been  practiced  as  a  means  of  grace.  Re- 
ducing the  bodily  functions  to  a  minimum  of  activity,  greater 
spiritual  activity  is  possible.  Many  others  besides  religions 
devotees  have  found  that  an  empty  stomach  makes  an  exces- 
sive brain.  So  far  as  Jesus  practiced  voluntary  fasting,  all 
this  must  have  been  his  reason  for  doing  so.  Not  as  a  hygienic 
measure,  for  he  held  the  things  of  the  flesh  as  of  secondary 
importance  to  the  things  of  the  spirit.  Not  as  a  penance  for 
sin,  for  he  regarded  God  as  a  loving;  Father  rather  than  as  an 
exacting  tyrant.  The  forty  days'  fast  of  Jesus  just  before 
[beginning  his  mission  was  not  a  hygienic  measure,  nor  a 
penance,  but  a  spiritual  exercise  for  the  purpose  of  gaining 
complete  mastery  of  his  body. 

It  would  seem  that  if  Jesus  practiced  voluntary  fasting 
after  this,  it  was  done  in  secret,  as  he  had  the  reputation  of 
not  fasting  at  all.  "  And  John's  disciples  and  the  Pharisees 
were  fasting,  and  they  come  and  say  unto  him,  why  do  John's 
disciples  and  the  disciples  of  the  Pharisees  fast,  but  thy 
disciples  fast  not  ?  "  But  whatever  may  have  been  his  prac- 
tice he  did  not  fail  to  give  very  specific  directions  to  his 
disciples  about  fasting.  This,  like  alms-giving  and  prayer,  he 
enjoins  the  most  careful  secrecy.  He  omitted  nothing  to- 
emphasize  his  wish  in  this  particular.  He  said  :  u  Moreover, 
when  ye  fast  be  not  as  the  hypocrites,  of  a  sad  countenance; 
.for  they  disfigure  their  faces,  that  they  may  appear  unto  men 
to  fast.  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  they  have  their  reward.  But 
when  thou  fastest,  anoint  thy  head,  and  wash  thy  face,  that 
thou  appear  not  unto  men  to  fast,  but  unto  thy  Father  which 
is  in  secret;  and  thy  Father  which  seeth  in  secret  shall  reward 
thee  openly." 

If  Jesus  foresaw  how  completely  his  words  were  to  be 
ignored  by  his  professed  followers ;  how  the  very  things  he 
strove  againat  would  become  the  special  badge  of  Christian 
discipleship,  what  must  have  been  his  feelings  ?  Perhaps  he 
did  foresee  it.  This  may  explain  in  part  his  agony  at  Geth- 
semane. 


HOW    HYPOCRITE  S    FAST.  145 

Did  he  foresee  that  in  spite  of  his  words  fasting  would  be 
set  apart  for  certain  days  ;  that  fast  days  would  become  as 
public  as  holidays ;  that  they  would  be  scheduled  like  sport- 
ing events;  that  every  item  of  each  fast  would  be  prescribed 
like  the  menu  of  a  public  banquet ;  that  no  pains  would  be 
spared  to  make  this  observance  conspicuous  by  mode  of  dress 
and  general  deportment;  that  all  compunction  of  conscience 
and  propriety  would  be  lost  by  his  followers  in  making  public 
parade  of  the  most  excellent  means  of  grace  ?  Did  he  foresee 
all  this?  He  said  once  to  the  theologians,  "  Ye  have  made 
the  word  of  God  of  no  effect  by  your  traditions."  I  wonder  if 
he  would  not  say  the  same  thing  again. 

It  is  quite  unlikely,  however,  that  Jesus'  mode  of  fasting 
was  a  formal  or  stated  observance,  either  public  or  private. 
After  he  began  his  career  as  a  minister  of  the  gospel  his  life 
was  altogether  too  serious  for  such  things.  He  became  so  poor, 
having  no  home  or  place  to  lay  his  head,  that  fasting  was  fre- 
quently unavoidable.  The  Master,  himself,  and  the  disciples 
could  not  carry  the  gospel  to  the  poor  and  outcast  without 
getting  hungry  sometimes.  Formal  fasting  was  quite  super- 
fluous in  such  a  life.  This  was  also  true  of  those  primitive 
ministers  of  the  gospel  who  accepted  what  Jesus  taught  liter- 
ally. They  used  to  get  hungry  too.  They  saw  no  way  to 
avoid  it  and  follow  Jesus.  It  required  several  hundred 
years  of  theological  research  to  discover  a  way  to  become  a 
gospel  minister  and  yet  remain  a  well-fed,  well-paid  gentle- 
man. Few  people  realize  the  amount  of  Christian  scholarship 
that  has  been  expended  to  transform  the  life  of  a  Christian 
minister  into  a  prosperous,  college-bred  orator. 

Alms-giving,  prayer  and  fasting  are  pious  observances. 
Real  piety  seeks  seclusion.  Nothing  is  more  obnoxious  to  the 
normal  mind  than  a  public  exhibition  of  piety.  No  more  dis- 
agreeable person  exists  than  one  who  is  always  appearing 
pious.  No  one  likes  to  be  in  the  presence  of  such  a  person. 
This  is  so  true  that  even  the  pious  mistrust  or  hate  each  other. 


14«5  DR.    TALKWELIAS    SKE1CHES. 

To  be  really  pious,  without  allowing  anyone  to  discover  it,  is 
true  religion  according  to  Jesus.  A  want  of  modesty  destroys 
the  charm  of  the  most  beautiful  woman.  So  a  want  of  secrecy 
destroys  the  beauty  of  the  most  zealous  piety.  A  piety  that 
does  not  diligently  seek  to  hide  itself  is  spiritual  vulgarity. 

At  first  everybody  instinctively  tries  to  hide  piety.  This 
is  exactly  as  it  should  be.  It  is  only  after  great  effort  and 
spiritual  self  abuse  that  any  sane  person  can  bring  himself  to 
exhibit  his  piety.  All  sorts  of  evangelistic  devices  have  been 
contrived  to  persuade  unew  converts"  to  display  in  public 
some  sign  of  piety.  This  is  always  repugnant  to  any  sincere 
rnind.  Human  nature  naturally  rebels  against  such  defile- 
ment of  its  most  sacred  feelings.  It  is  only  the  less  modest 
ones  who  can  be  so  debauched.  Thanks  to  the  natural  divinity 
of  the  human  soul,  the  great  majority  of  people  remain  true 
to  their  own  hearts.  Thanks  to  the  integrity  of  human  nature, 
only  a  few  can  be  cajoled  to  betray  their  holiest  sensibilities. 
Most  people,  in  spite  of  their  teachers,  hold  their  piety  in 
sacred  privacy.  And  the  Father  who  seeth  in  secret  does 
reward  them  openly. 

But  some  will  say,  "  Shall  we  hide  our  light  under  a 
bushel?"  Hiding  our  piety  is  not  hiding  our  light.  Private 
piety  leads  to  public  acts,  which  are  the  light  of  the  world. 
Acts,  not  words,  constitute  the  light  of  the  world.  The  per- 
son whom  the  world  calls  a  u  religious  crank  "  is  one  who 
makes  his  piety  public.  Such  a  person  does  far  more  harm 
than  good.  His  is  the  religions  to  talk,  talk,  talk.  There  is 
no  light  in  it  at  all.  But  the  one  who  instinctively  conceals 
his  piety,  and  is  governed  in  all  his  outward  acts  by  the  law  of 
love,  is  the  light  of  the  world.  Such  a  one  cannot  hide  his 
light.  The  Master  has  promised  that  he  would  be  rewarded 
openly.  The  world  needs  more  and  more  of  this  kind  of  light. 


JESUS'   TEACHINGS   PERVERTED. 


"  Thy  Father  Which  is  in  Secret  Shall  Reward  Thee  Openly.1 


.  TALKWELL'S  reports  on  the  various  enterprises 
and  activities  of  the  city  grow  each  Sunday  more 
and  more  interesting.  The  great  ignorance  of  one 
class  of  citizens  about  everything  that  concerns  any 
other  class  in  a  large  city  constitutes  the  chief  barrier  to 
every  kind  of  fraternal  work.  People  know  little  or  nothing 
about  each  other,  except  those  few  who  are  associated  in  small 
cliques  or  societies.  This  is  the  inevitable  trend  of  modern 
civilization.  To  endeavor  to  correct  this  unfortunate  tendency, 
the  whole  effort  of  the  secular  society  (to  whom  Dr.  Talkwell 
makes  his  Sunday  reports)  is  directed.  At  the  close  of  his 
report  last  Sunday  the  doctor  said : 

It  is  asked,  why  is  it  that  the  church  is  practically  unani- 
mous in  making  almsgiving,  prayer  and  fasting  public  obser- 
vances, if  it  be  true  that  they  were  originally  advised  and 
practiced  by  Jesus  as  secret  observances  ? 

The  answer  is  this:  The  ecclesiastical  organization  known 
as  the  church  is  vitally  interested  in  public  worship.  A 
church  without  some  sort  of  public  worship  would  be  a  finan- 
cial failure.  Secret  observance  cannot  be  utilized  in  any  way 
by  church  organizations  for  such  purposes.  The  church  can 
have  no  abiding  interest  in  any  thing  that  cannot  be  made  to 
contribute  to  its  own  material  life  or  progress.  Every  religious 
observance  recommended  by  Jesus  that  could  not  be  appro- 
priated by  the  church  for  practical  purposes,  has  either  been 


148  REV.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

quietly  ignored  or  gradually  perverted.  If  alms-giving  is  only 
to  be  practiced  in  secret,  if  prayer  is  to  be  confined  to  one's- 
own  closet,  if  fasting  is  to  be  carefully  concealed,  then  of  what 
use  are  they  to  public  worship?  None  whatever. 

Gradually  these  observances  have  been  forced  into  public 
service  because  there  was  no  other  way  to  use  them  to  benefit 
the  church.  As  soon  as  the  attempt  was  made  to  organize 
Christian  worship  and  harness  it  up  in  ecclesiastical  rules,  the 
absence  in  Jesus'  sayings  of  anything  out  of  which  to  build  a 
church  ritual  must  have  been  noticed.  For  this  reason  no 
attempt  was  made  at  organizing  Christian  worship  for  a  long 
time.  Under  the  mistaken  notions  of  Paul,  little  companies 
of  believers  were  gathered  in  several  places  to  await  the 
second  coming  of  Jesus.  But  the  sayings  of  Jesus  furnished 
so  little  pretext  for  an  organization  that  at  first  no  such 
attempt  was  made. 

It  was  only  after  the  idea  had  arisen  that  Jesus  had  given 
Peter  and  his  successors  full  authority  to  develop  the  details 
of  a  church  organization  that  an  ecclesiastical  system  was 
seriously  attempted.  .  Then  began  an  elaboration  of  a  church 
ritual  and  creed  as  fantastic  as  it  was  far  from  anything  to  be 
found  in  the  sayings  of  Jesus.  This  continued,  with  protests, 
now  and  then,  until  the  Reformation.  By  this  time  the  people 
had  become  accustomed  to  seeing  the  things  which  Jesus  com- 
manded to  be  observed  in  secret,  practiced  in  the  most  public 
manner.  But  it  was  not  pretended  at  this  time  that  the  say- 
ings of  Jesus  gave  them  any  authority  for  such  public  per- 
formances, but  it  was  claimed  that  the  authority  had  been 
delegated  to  them  to  make  any  changes  or  additions  they 
should  choose  to  (under  the  guidance  of  the  Holy  Spirit,  of 
course). 

When  the  Reformation  came,  a  great  part  of  this  ritual 
was  abandoned  by  the  protesting  churches.  But  a  portion 
remained.  The  idea  that  all  of  these  public  observances 
could  be  spared  was  not  tolerated.  Some  of  the  ritual  must 


JESUS'    TEACHINGS    PERVERTED.  149 

be  saved.  But  in  order  to  save  any  of  the  ritual,  one  of  two 
things  must  be  done.  They  must  either  admit  that  the  author- 
ity to  invent  a  ritual  had  been  actually  given  to  the  church 
through  Peter,  or  else  they  must  contrive  to  make  Jesus  in 
some  way  directly  responsible  for  them. 

It  was  the  special  work  of  most  of  the  protesting  churches 
to  deny  that  the  original  church  had  any  authority  to  invent 
a  church  ritual  or  creed.  Hence,  whatever  of  the  ritual  or 
creed  they  inherited  from  the  mother  church,  which  the  pro- 
testing church  considered  worth  saving,  they  were  obliged  to 
maintain  on  the  grounds  that  Jesus,  or  at  least  the  Gospel 
writers,  had  instituted  them.  Had  the  people  not  already 
become  accustomed  to  these  observances  long  before  any 
attempt  was  made  to  prove  them  by  the  sayings  of  Jesus,  it 
would  have  been  impossible  for  the  church  to  have  made  any 
one  believe  that  Jesus  wished  his  followers  to  do  such  things. 

Thus  it  is  that  the  Protestant  churches  cling  with  des- 
perate clutch  to  every  text  or  syllable  of  the  Gospel  that  can 
be  tortured  into  an  excuse  for  maintaining  some  kind  or 
degree  of  public  worship.  It  is  pathetic  to  witness  with  what 
ingenuity  of  interpretation  and  valiant  persistency  the  profes- 
sional theologian  undertakes  to  fasten  upon  Jesus  the  respon- 
sibility of  a  multitude  of  church  customs  and  traditions  which 
come  and  go  with  each  succeeding  century.  He  established 
none  of  them.  He  had  little  use  for  any  of  them.  None  of 
them  have  the  slightest  resemblance  to  anything  he  ever  said 
or  did.  This  is  not  saying  that  Jesus  would  disapprove  of  all 
the  customs  and  traditions  of  the  modern  church ;  it  is  simply 
saying  that  he  did  not  originate  them,  and  is  in  no  sense 
responsible  for  them. 

While  about  his  mission  he  came  in  contact  with  church 
forms  and  traditions.  He  made  use  of  them  whenever  they  were 
of  service  to  him.  That  he  used  them  differently  than  was  the 
custom  appears  from  the  fact  that  he  was  shut  out  of  the 
synagogues.  He  did  not  exactly  oppose  the  existing  church 


150  DR.    TALKWELI/S    SKETCHEvS. 

customs,  but  he  tried  to  use  them  for  some  rational  purpose. 
This  he  could  not  do,  for  they  would  not  allow  him  to. 

I  do  not  regard  Jesus  as  the  author  of  our  church  customs, 
rituals,  creeds  or  traditions,  one  whit  more  than  I  regard  him 
the  author  of  our  system  of  public  education,  or  our  form  of 
government,  or  our  social  etiquette.  All  these  may  be  good 
and  might  meet  the  entire  approval  of  Jesus,  but  by  no  word 
or  act  did  he  indicate  a  desire  to  disturb  or  establish  any  such 
institutions.  He  confined  himself  to  his  peculiar  mission. 
His  mission  was  to  establish  a  gospel  ministry,  to  call  apart 
from  the  natural  avocations  of  life  a  few  men  to  do  as  he  did. 
He  took  them  and  showed  them  what  he  wished  them  to  do. 
He  also  told  them  in  a  very  plain  simple  way,  exactly  what  he 
expected  of  them.  This  is  all  he  did,  this  is  all  he  said. 

While  no  doubt  he  expected  this  mission  to  reach  the 
whole  world,  yet  this  was  his  way  of  reaching  the  whole  world. 
His  way  was  to  go  to  the  poor,  the  wretched,  the  outcast, 
knowing  that  this  was  the  only  way  to  reach  the  others.  Many 
gospel  ministers  are  trying  to  reach  the  poor,  the  depraved, 
through  the  rich  and  the  cultured.  In  this  they  have  the* 
Gospel  exactly  reversed.  Jesus  showed  them  the  only  open 
door  to  the  world.  He  showed  them  by  going  through  the 
door  himself;  by  becoming  homeless  and  hungry;  by  losing 
his  life  for  the  lost  sheep.  Had  he  gone  to  the  rich  and  cul- 
tured his  name  would  have  passed  into  oblivion  in  a  single 
generation.  He  called  his  ministers  to  follow  in  his  footsteps. 
So  far  as  we  know  the  history  of  the  disciples  they  did  follow 
him,  and  as  a  consequence  they  met  about  the  same  fate.  It 
was  only  after  his  followers  quit  following  in  his  steps  that 
their  persecutions  ceased.  The  same  persecutions  stand  ready 
today  to  meet  anyone  who  dares  to  literally  follow  Jesus — 
even  though  he  follow  him  half  way  as  Peter  did.  These 
persecutions  come  now  from  the  same  source  that  they  did 
then — from  the  ecclesiastical  organizations,  and  not  from  the 
people. 


DR.   TALKWELL'S  CHURCH. 


Can  A  Modern  Preacher  Become  A  Christian  Minister? 


REPORTER  called  on  Dr.  Talkwell  this  week  to  ask 
him  some  questions  about  a  new  departure  which 
the  secular  society  he  represents  Is  proposing  to 
make.  The  reporter  asked  : 

u  Have  you  any  objections  to  anwering  a  few  questions 
touching  the  new  work  of  your  society  ?  " 

"  Not  at  all.  I  should  certainly  object  to  an  attempt  to 
make  public  anything  which  I  regarded  as  the  Master's  work, 
but  the  society  of  which  I  speak  makes  no  pretension  of  doing 
such  work.  Therefore  I  have  no  objection  to  speaking  of  it 
to  you." 

"  Is  it  true,  then,  that  this  society  is  seriously  considering 
an  extension  of  its  work  ?  " 

"  Yes,  it  is  true.  Until  now  we  have  simply  been  having 
every  Sunday  morning  a  public  service  devoted  mainly  to  the 
reports  of  my  investigations  into  the  various  enterprises  and 
activities  of  the  city.  These  reports  are  to  be  continued 
indefinitely.  The  rapid  growth  and  change  of  such  a  city  as 
this  will  continue  to  furnish  ample  material  for  an  hour's 
report  once  a  week.  But  I  have  been  considering  the  matter 
very  seriously,  lately,  and  have  concluded  there  is  more  work 
that  the  society  could  do.  I  have  made  a  proposition  to  the 
society,  which  they  are  considering  and  are  about  to  accept. 

Before  I  resigned  my  pastorate  they  were  paying  me 
$5000  a  year.  In  addition  to  this  sum  they  were  also  raising 
for  missionary  societies,  and  various  outside  denominational 


152  DR.    TALKWELI/S     SKETCHES. 

purposes,  as  much  more.     This  would  make  at  least  $10,000  a 
year  the  church  was  raising  for  the  work  we  were  carrying  on. 

My  proposal  to  them  will  cost  considerably  less  money, 
but  in  my  opinion  do  a  great  deal  more  effective  work.  It  is 
proposed  to  divide  the  work  into  three  departments,  musical, 
social,  and  public  instruction.  I  have  offered  my  services  to 
the  church  for  $1,000  a  year  to  take  charge  of  the  department 
of  public  instruction,  to  be  carried  on  much  the  same  way  as 
my  Sunday  morning  reports  have  been  —  coming  before  the 
public  once  or  twice  a  week  with  information  concerning  some 
item  touching  the  life  and  institutions  of  our  city. 

The  department  of  music  will  be  presided  over  by  a 
competent  musician,  capable  of  teaching  various  instruments, 
conducting  choruses  and  the  like.  This  person  will  also  re- 
ceive a  salary  of  at  least  $1,000  a  year.  The  director  of  music 
will  be  expected  to  organize  orchestra  and  chorus  classes  for 
the  production  of  sacred  music,  oratorios,  operas,  etc. 

The  director  of  the  social  department  of  the  society  will 
have  charge  of  the  organization  of  clubs,  literary  societies, 
and  especially  amateur  dramatic  societies.  The  director  of 
this  department  will  also  receive  a  salary  of  $1,000  a  year. 

The  church  building  is  to  be  remodeled  into  a  theater 
auditorium,  first-class  in  every  particular.  The  room  is  to 
differ  in  no  way  from  a  modern  opera  house,  except  the  addi- 
tion of  a  pipe  organ.  The  rooms  that  we  have  heretofore 
used  as  Sunday  School  rooms  will  be  used  for  rehearsals,  com- 
mittee rooms,  kindergarten  work  and  other  requirements  of 
our  society.  The  audience  room,  or  theatre,  is  to  serve  the 
purpose  of  musical  and  dramatic  uses,  as  well  as  the  Sunday 
services." 

uYou  do  not  mean  to  say  that  you  intend  to  have  dramatic 
performances  in  the  same  room  where  you  hold  your  Sunday 
services  ?  "  asked  the  reporter  in  astonishment. 

"  Certainly  I  do.  Why  not  ?  The  truths  of  the  Bible  or 
any  other  ethical  truths  can  be  taught  far  more  effectively  by 
the  drama  than  all  the  preaching  in  the  world." 


DR.    TALKWELL'S    CHURCH.  153 

"  What,  do  you  intend  to  introduce  something  like  the 
Passion  Play  upon  the  stage  ? " 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort.  We  will  have  little  or  no  time  for 
such  nonsense.  Plays  based  upon  the  Bible  should  be  selected 
from  the  parables  rather  than  the  mythology  of  the  Bible. 
Every  sentiment  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  can  find  expres- 
sion in  a  much  more  telling  way  by  dramatic  representation 
than  by  dreary  sermonizing." 

u  Do  you  expect  to  confine  your  dramatic  representations 
to  Bible  lessons  entirely?" 

"  I  presume  not,  although  the  sayings  of  Jesus  would 
furnish  plenty  of  material  for  hundreds  of  soul-stirring  dramas. 
What  a  theme  the  Prodigal  Son  would  make  for  the  dramatist, 
or  the  story  of  the  woman  they  brought  to  Jesus,  and  to  whom 
he  said,  c  Neither  do  I  condemn  thee ;  go  and  sin  no  more.' 
These  beautiful  pictures  in  the  life  of  Jesus  could  be  wrought 
out  by  even  an  amateur  dramatist  in  such  a  realistic  way  as 
to  bring  them  home  to  every  heart.  I  would  not  feel  by  any 
means  any  necessity,  however,  to  be  restricted  by  any  bounds, 
for  wherever  human  need  or  human  aspiration  touches  there 
would  be  a  legitimate  field  for  our  work." 

"  Would  you  expect  to  bring  out  these  dramatic  represen- 
tations by  amateur  talent  alone  ?  " 

"  As  nearly  as  possible.  This  would  be  the  work  of  the 
director  of  that  department.  At  least  three  amateur  dramatic 
societies  will  be  organized  ;  one  consisting  of  the  children,  one 
of  the  young  people  and  one  of  the  men  and  women  of  the 
city.  All  these  will  be  selected  without  any  reference  to 
creed  or  locality.  This  would  make  the  most  effective  preach- 
ing possible,  besides  furnishing  something  elevating  and 
inspiring  for  our  people  to  do." 

"  But,"  the  reporter  asked,  "  do  you  not  think  the  salaries 
rather  small  to  command  men  of  sufficient  talent  to  take 
charge  of  this  sort  of  work  ?  " 

"  Well,  so   far  as    I    am   concerned    the    salary   is    large 


154  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

enough.  One  thousand  dollars  a  year  is  a  larger  salary  than 
the  average  workman  receives,  and  I  would  be  ashamed  to 
confess  that  I  would  not  be  able  or  willing  to  live  on  as  small 
a  salary  as  an  honest  working  man.  But  suppose  we  are 
obliged  to  pay  our  musical  director  and  social  director  $2.000 
each  a  year,  yet  this  would  only  bring  the  three  salaries  to 
the  amount  of  $5,000  per  year,  exactly  what  they  used  to  pay 
me  alone.  Then  there  would  be  nothing  to  prevent  both  of 
the  directors  from  giving  private  lessons  in  music  or  elocution 
in  addition  to  their  regular  work.*' 

"How  will  you  meet  the  running  expenses  of  such  a 
work?" 

u  Oh,  in  various  ways ;  perhaps  by  small  admission  fees 
to  some  of  the  entertainments,  or  perhaps  in  the  same  way  we 
used  to  when  we  were  known  as  a  church." 

"  Would  the  building  be  open  every  night?" 
"  I  hope  so,  and  every  day,  too,  for  that  matter.  We  in- 
tend making  it  large  enough  to  accommodate  an  ordinary  con- 
vention, and  everything  of  this  sort  would  find  a  ready  wel- 
come. It  will  be  our  purpose  to  make  the  place  just  secular 
enough  to  admit  any  good  thing,  and  just  holy  enough  to  shut 
out  every  sort  of  hypocrisy  and  pretence ;  a  place  where 
people,  old  and  young,  will  love  to  come  ;  a  place  where  it 
will  be  the  pleasure  rather  than  the  duty  of  all  to  gather;  a 
place  where  sociability,  not  solemnity,  is  the  regular  order." 
"  Why  do  you  object  to  calling  this  society  a  church?" 
uThe  only  objection  I  should  have  is  the  popular  notion 
that  the  church  is  doing  the  work  of  Christian  ministry.  If 
we  should  call  our  society  a  church,  then  our  work  would  be 
regarded  as  our  idea  of  Christian  discipleship.  That  any 
church  has  ever  done  or  can  ever  be  made  to  do  the  work  of 
a  Christian  minister  is  exactly  what  I  deny.  That  the  church 
has  done  a  good  work  and  can  be  made  to  do  a  still  greater 
work  is  doubtless  true,  and  it  is  this  greater  work  of  the 
church  we  are  aiming  to  do. 


DK.     TAUv'WELI/S     CHURCH.  165 

But  this  has  only  incidentally  anything  in  common  with 
the  mission  of  Jesus,  and  I  wish  to  avoid  giving  a  wrong  in- 
ference. That  we  are  proposing  to  do  the  work  that  the 
church  ought  to  be  doing,  I  certainly  believe. 

Personally,  I  hope  to  be  able  to  take  a  few  feeble  steps  in 
the  Master's  work.  My  department  of  work  will  call  me  con- 
stantly to  associate  with  the  unfortunate  classes.  I  will  have 
no  other  business  but  to  work  among  them.  I  shall  come 
each  Sunday  to  my  reports  with  my  heart  full  of  the  suffering 
and  the  injustice  which  they  are  enduring.  I  am  simply  to 
report  my  observations.  All  so-called  literary  work  will  be 
left  to  those  who  have  the  time.  Then,  I  hope  to  do  some  of 
the  Master's  work  at  the  same  time  I  am  assisting  in  the  edu- 
cational work,  which  the  church  has  so  long  mistaken  for  the 
work  of  the  Master." 


DR.    TALKWELL'S   CONGREGATION. 


And  when  He  Putteth  Forth  His  Own  Sheep,  He  goeth  before 

them,    and   the  Sheep   Follow   Him   for  they   know 

His   voice.     And    a   Stranger    will   they    not 

Follow,  but  will  Flee  from  Him:     For 

they    know    not  the  Voice  of 

Strangers. " 


Dr.  Talkwell  rose  to  make  his  usual  report  last  Sun- 
day morning,  he  said  : 

I  have  been  asked  again  and  again  howl  accounted  for 
the  change  that  has  occurred  in  my  audience,  since  I 
have  left  off  preaching  and  undertaken  to  make  these  services  of 
some  practical  benefit.  For  instance,  as  you  all  know,  my  audi- 
ences have  greatly  increased,  but  what  is  a  great  deal  better,  at 
least  one-half  of  my  audience  is  made  up  of  men  and  women 
that  I  could  not  possibly  reach  while  I  attended  to  the  tradi- 
tional duties  of  a  regular  pastor. 

I  see  before  me  every  Sunday  morning  a  large  multitude 
of  people  that  I  have  tried  to  inveigle  into  this  place  by  all  the 
ecclesiastical  tricks  and  theological  jugglery  that  my  con- 
science would  allow  me  to  resort  to,  but  they  would  not  come. 
I  have  tried  to  get  them  here  with  free  suppers,  free  entertain- 
ments, by  appointing  invitation  committees,  by  using  printed 
invitations,  by  introducing  lectures  on  popular  subjects,  by 
making  them  hurried  visits.  I  spared  neither  printers'  ink 
nor  prayers.  I  spent  my  physical  strength  and  exhausted  my 
mental  vigor  with  every  sort  of  claptrap  and  indirect  bribery 
to  get  them  here,  and  still  they  have  stayed  away.  But  now 
that  I  have  ceased  all  this  worry  and  worldlv  anxietv  and 


DR.    TALK  WELL'S    CONGREGATION.  157 

gone  about  my  Master's  business  without  giving  these  services 
a  single  thought,  they  are  coming  in  increasing  numbers  every 
Sunday. 

As  compared  to  the  work  of  my  old  pastorate,  how  easy 
is  the  work  of  my  Master;  how  light  are  his  burdens.  Oh, 
how  vain,  how  exceedingly  un-Christ-like,  was  the  work  of 
those  days  when  I  wore  upon  my  neck  the  yoke  of  ecclesiasti- 
cism,  and  bore  upon  my  shoulders  the  burden  of  denomina- 
tional zeal.  I  have  laid  aside  all  personal  ambition  about  what 
sort  of  congregations  attend  this  place.  I  never  think  of  ask- 
ing anyone  to  come  and  hear  me  speak.  This  used  to  be  my 
habit.  I  have  reformed.  To  simply  go  in  and  out  among 
those  to  whom  I  can  be  of  the  greatest  service,  is  my  only  mis- 
sion. 1  do  not  go  among  them  to  get  them,  but  to  help  them. 
I  bring  to  bear  what  learning  and  influence  I  may  possess  for 
their  defense  and  encouragement.  It  is  little  or  nothing 
whether  they  come  to  hear  me  speak  or  not. 

But  this  seems  to  be  the  most  effectual  way  to  bring  them 
to  this  place.  I  believe  it  was  the  reason  the  multitude  fol- 
lowed Jesus.  He  went  about  doing  good,  instead  of  acting 
as  the  soliciting  agent  of  some  church  enterprise.  Think  of 
Jesus  going  about  Palestine  trying  to  persuade  the  people  to 
come  to  the  temple  to  hear  him  preach  !  He  had  no  time  for 
such  folly.  He  frequently  sought  to  avoid  the  multitude. 
His  was  not  the  mission  of  a  preacher.  The  world  had  already 
too  much  preaching.  It  needed  some  one  to  show  them  how 
to  do.  This  is  exactly  what  is  needed  today,  even  more  than 
then. 

I  heard  a  preacher  complaining  the  other  day  that  the  world 
is  growing  more  and  more  wicked  because  the  people  do  not 
attend  church  as  they  ought  to.  I  asked  him  why  he  thought 
the  people  ought  to  attend  church.  He  replied,  so  that  he 
might  teach  them  God's  word.  This  is  a  very  common  mistake. 
The  world  does  not  need  telling  to  be  good ;  it  needs  showing 
how  to  be  good.  The  world  is  saying  to  us  preachers  :  "  Show 
us  the  way ;  do  not  stand  there  and  talk  about  it  any  longer. 
If  you  can  do  any  better  than  we  can,  do  it,  so  that  we  can  see 


158  DK.    TALK  WELL'S    SKETCHES. 

you  and  learn  how."     Not  even  a  trade  can  be  taught  by  talk; 
how  much  less  the  way  of  life. 

All  sorts  of  plans  are  devised  from  time  to  time  to  get 
more  people  to  attend  church.  Nearly  every  way  but  the 
right  way  has  been  tried.  As  soon  as  the  preacher  dares  to 
cut  loose  from  the  burdens  and  proprieties  of  church  customs, 
and  spend  his  time  among  those  who  need  him,  he  will  not 
lack  for  a  congregation,  whether  he  has  a  good  choir  or  not. 
Opportunities  for  magnificent  service  to  humanity  are  more 
numerous  now  than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

One  of  the  judges  in  our  city  told  me  not  long  since  of 
one  of  the  many  cases  that  occur  under  his  notice  every  year. 
A  man  charged  with  an  unnameable  crime  in  his  own  family 
was  thrown  into  prison  to  await  his  trial.  He  had  many 
friends  in  the  shops  where  he  worked,  but  the  peculiar  atroci- 
ty of  the  crime  with  which  he  was  charged  caused  his  friends 
to  shrink  from  him  in  horror.  No  one  was  willing  to  go  his 
bail.  No  one  even  called  to  see  him  during  the  four  months' 
imprisonment  while  he  waited  for  his  trial. 

A  man  used  to  active  life,  accustomed  to  plenty  of  friends, 
had  enjoyed  the  respect  of  every  one,  was  suddenly  plunged 
into  solitary  confinement,  shut  out  from  all  human  intercourse. 
Words  can  never  discribe  the  suffering  of  those  terrible 
months.  When  he  entered  that  prison  cell  he  was  a  strong 
man;  when  he  appeared  before  the  judge  for  his  trial  he  was 
an  emaciated,  shrunken  remnant  of  his  former  self.  The  ab- 
ject defenselessness  of  the  man  excited  the  especial  attention 
and  pity  of  the  judge,  who  appointed  two  young  lawyers  to 
investigate  the  case.  They  did  so,  and,  to  the  surprise  of 
every  one,  the  suspicion  against  the  man  had  not  a  particle  of 
substantial  foundation  to  rest  upon.  It  was  one  of  the  most 
outrageous  examples  of  misleading  circumstantial  evidence 
that  could  be  imagined.  As  soon  as  it  began  to  reach  his 
friends  that  there  was  a  possibility  of  innocence  in  his  case, 
they  rushed  to  his  rescue.  He  was  promptly  acquitted.  The 
day  he  returned  to  the  shops  an  ovation  awaited  him  from  his 


DR.    TALKAYKLI/S    CONGREGATION.  159 

former  associates  that  will  never  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
witnessed  it. 

Think  of  the  wretchedness  of  those  months  of  suspense. 
Think  of  the  haggard  weariness  of  the  long  days,  and  the  awful 
anguish  of  the  terrible  nights — conscious  of  his  own  innocence; 
realizing  fully  the  injustice  of  the  charges  against  him, but  utter- 
ly unable  to  do  a  single  thing  about  it;  caged  like  a  wild 
beast,  shunned  by  even  his  keepers,  bearing  the  ignominy  of 
one  of  the  most  dreadful  crimes  known  to  man ;  the  victim  of 
a  curious  combination  of  conspiracy  and  circumstances,  but 
innocent  of  it  all. 

Never  before  in  his  life,  perhaps  never  again,  could  a 
Mend  be  of  such  value  to  him.  But  no  one  comes,  ana  he 
can  reach  no  one.  Oh,  for  a  chance  to  explain  to  some  one 
who  would  listen  and  act.  All  this  time  within  a  short  dis- 
tance of  his  prison  were  over  one  hundred  men  who  are 
called  ministers  of  the  gospel ;  men  who  are  supposed  to  be 
spending  their  whole  time  and  talent  in  following  in  the  foot- 
steps of  Him  who  said  :  "  I  was  in  prison  and  ye  visited  me," 
and  yet  none  of  them  went  to  him.  What  an  opportunity  for 
service !  What  a  strange  occasion  for  some  man  wishing  to 
win  new  parishioners! 

What  would  have  been  the  effect  upon  that  army  of  men 
who  worked  in  the  same  shop  with  this  poor  fellow,  had  some 
preacher  found  him  out  and  vindicated  his  honor,  as  it  would 
have  been  so  easy  to  have  done.  To  have  restored  him  to  his 
family  and  place  would  have  won  more  hearts  to  the  cause  of 
Ohrist  than  all  the  wishy-washy  missionary  work  that  could 
be  done  in  ten  years.  It  is  this  kind  of  work  that  will  make 
congregations,  not  literary  work.  There  is  plenty  of  it.  Not 
a  day  passes  but  some  poor,  defenseless  person  could  be  found 
and  rescued  if  some  one  only  had  the  time  and  desire.  It  is 
this  kind  of  work  that  has  wrought  the  change  in  my  congrega- 
tion. Not  prison  work  exclusively,  but  all  kinds  of  humani- 
tarian work,  exactly  as  the  Master  did.  The  multitude  fol- 


160  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

lowed  him  and  they  would  follow  any  one  else  who  [does 
the  work  of  a  Christian  minister.  People  will  begin  to  go  to 
church  when  they  have  something  to  go  for.  The  sheepjjwill 
follow  the  shepherd.  They  know  his  voice.  It  is  not  neces- 
sary to  drive  them,  or  coax  them  or  bribe  them.  They  will- 
gladly  follow  the  shepherd.  As  soon  as  we  make  ourselves  real- 
ly shepherds, the  flocks  will  follow.  I  am  sure  of  it,  for  Jesus 
said  it  would  be  so,  and  because  my  experience  has  confirmed  it. 


THE   RICH   MAN'S   CHURCH. 


Dr.  Talk  well,  the  Reformed  Preacher,  Attends 
a  Strange  Church  Convention. 


>ND  it  shall  come  to  pass  in  the  last  days,  saith  God,  I 
will  pour  out  of  my  spirit  upon  all  flesh ;  and  your 
sons  and  your  daughters  shall  prophesy,  and  your 
young  men  shall  see  visions,  and  your  old  men  shall 
dream  dreams." 

It  was  midnight,  May  13,  1900.  There  was  a  full  moon 
flooding  the  earth  with  mellow  light..  It  was  the  hour  for  the 
meeting  of  a  strange  convention  that  was  to  assemble  in  a 
grove  of  ancient  trees  southeast  of  the  city.  With  a  guide 
and  interpreter  I  set  out  to  visit  this  secret  conference  of  cu- 
rious creatures.  It  was  to  be  the  first  time  that  a  human  being 
had  ever  been  able  to  gain  admission.  I  was  nervous  with  ex- 
pectation, and  the  still  solemnity  of  the  night  produced  in 
me  a  feeling  of  awe  and  foreboding.  My  guide  walked  rapidly, 
but  seldom  spoke. 

We  were  already  in  the  outskirts  of  the  city,  with  only 
here  and  there  a  twinkling  light  to  remind  us  of  the  existence 
of  human  habitation.  Presently  these  vanished,  and  we  stood 
alone  among  great,  gaunt,  spreading  elms.  In  the  center  of 
the  grove  was  a  clear,  circular  place  into  which  the  moonlight 
poured,  making  every  thing  wierdly  distinct,  contrasting  sharply 
with  the  black  shadows  of  the  monster  trees.  Around  the 
outer  edge  of  the  open  space  was  a  single  row  of  huge  seats  of 
glistening  white  marble,  resembling  whited  sepulchres. 


1»51>    .  DR.     TALK'WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

The  stillness  was  oppressive.  Not  a  leaf  moved.  All  ani- 
mated creatures  were  asleep.  uWe  will  wait  here,''  said  my 
guide.  "They  will  arrive  soon.  Ah,  here  comes  some  one  now." 
Noiselessly  an  uncanny,  uncouth  creature  emerged  from  the 
black  shade  and  glided  to  one  of  the  highest  seats. 

Such  a  strange  creature!  It  resembled  a  miniature  church 
building,  and  when  standing  was  about  ten  feet  high.  Its  hat 
appeared  like  a  steeple.  Its  blinking  red  eyes  looked  like 
lighted  windows.  The  square,  wide  mouth  was  so  like  a 
church  door,  that  the  illusion  was  complete.  Other  similar 
looking  creatures  began  to  rapidly  fill  the  vacant  seats,  some 
with  steeple  hats,  some  with  two.  Some  very  large  and  pre- 
tentious, some  small  and  shabby,  but  all  bore  an  unmistakable 
resemblance  to  a  church  or  chapel  or  cathedral. 

"  How  is  this  ?  "  I  whispered  to  my  guide,  "  these  crea- 
tures look  like  churches.  What  joke  or  magic  or  optical  illus- 
sion  is  this  you  are  practicing  on  me?"  u  Keep  still,"  he  de- 
manded. tl  You  will  soon  discover  that  they  are  churches. 
This  is  the  regular  monthly  convention  of  the  churches  of 
Columbus.  Not  church  organizations,  but  church  buildings. 
When  this  association  was  formed  there  were  only  ten  of  them; 
now  there  are  over  100.  They  steal  away  at  midnight  once  a 
month,  always  in  the  full  of  the  moon,  to  this  place,  partly 
for  business  and  partly  for  pleasure.  Listen,  now  the  presi- 
dent of  the  convention  is  speaking." 

I  listened,  but  heard  nothing  but  the  soft  tolling  of  a 
distant  church  bell.  This,  I  learned,  was  the  only  speech 
these  curious  creatures  had.  My  interpreter  could  translate 
to  me  what  was  said.  The  president  was  saying  : 

"  Since  our  last  meeting  nothing  unusual  has  occurred. 
One  new  member  has  been  added  to  our  list.  This  new  comer 
is  of  an  aristocratic  origin  and  is  the  most  notable  access- 
ion to  our  club  for  many  years." 

A  clanging  of  bells  indicated  the  applause  of  the  members, 
especially  of  the  smaller  ones. 


THE     RICH     MAN'S     CHURCH.  163 

4i  We  will  now  call  upon  our  new  member  for  a  speech,  as 
has  been  our  custom  so  many  years,"  said  the  president,  with  a 
profound  bow  toward  an  aristocratic  group,  which  sat  quite 
separate  from  the  rest. 

The  small  ones  huddled  closer  together  in  mute  admira- 
tion as  the  grey-stone,  richly  ornamented,  newly-elected  mem- 
ber rose  to  speak.  After  carefully  wiping  his  stained-glass 
spectacles  with  a  fine  lace  handkerchief,  and  arranging  the 
costly  bouquets  that  adorned  his  person,  he  deliberately 
smoothed  down  the  grass-plat  of  his  waistcoat,  and  began  in 
silvery  tones  to  chime  a  well  worded  speech. 

"  In  the  first  place,"  remarked  the  new  member  with 
emphasis,  u  I  am  an  orthodox  of  the  orthodox."  A  clanging 
applause  greeted  this  remark,  from  all  except  a  lonesome  little 
group  at  the  far  side  of  the  circle,  partly  obscured  by  the 
shade  of  a  giant  tree.  "  I  believe  the  old  theology,  and  have 
no  use  for  new-fangled  creeds  or  speculations."  (How  the 
little  churches  rattled  their  unpainted  clapboards  in  approval 
of  this.  Some  of  the  large  ones  looked  knowing,  but  kept 
still.)  "I  believe  in  the  old-fashioned  hell-fire,  infallible 
Bible,  and  miraculous  conversions.  But  there  are  some  things 
which  the  churches  of  today  pretend  to  believe,  which  I  do 
not  believe  at  all.  I  wish  to  be  frank  with  you.  It  is  time 
some  of  us  were  willing  to  speak  the  entire  truth. 

41  As  you  know,  when  we  were  dedicated  a  good  deal  was 
said  about  the  meek  and  lowly  Master.  It  was  inferred,  at 
least,  that  we  were  to  be  sacred  to  the  work  which  he  did  in 
Palestine,  1900  years  ago.  That  the  poor,  the  downtrodden, 
the  lame,  the  blind,  the  publican,  the  sinner,  the  lost  sheep, 
were  to  be  the  special  object  of  all  our  ministrations.  Our 
doors  were  to  be  open  to  the  friendless  stranger,  our  roofs 
were  to  shelter  the  homeless  fugitive,  our  altars  to  be  a  refuge 
for  the  vilest  sinner,  our  pews  give  rest  to  weary  poverty 
struggling  against  the  inevitable,  our  pulpits  the  place  where 
injustice  in  high  places  was  to  be  denounced  and  the  helpless 
poor  defended. 


164  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

"  All  this  was  said,  as  you  recall,  that  day  when  you  were 
formally  opened  to  the  public.  It  was  also  said  on  the  occa- 
sion of  my  debut  a  few  days  ago.  But  I  am  not  going  to  take 
any  part  in  such  a  farce.  I  know  and  you  know,  and  we  alto- 
gether know,  that  nothing  of  the  kind  has  occurred  or  is  likely 
to  occur.  (Consternation  among  the  ortho-aristocrats,  laugh- 
ter and  noisy  clanging  from  the  small  heterodox  group,  shame 
and  silence  among  the  little  ones.) 

u  I  wish  to  be  frank,  at  least.  I  was  not  intended  for  such 
classes.  The  location  selected  for  me  indicates  that  very 
clearly.  The  grandeur  of  my  architecture,  the  elegance  of  my 
decorations  and  furniture,  make  as  effectual  a  barrier  against 
the  poor  and  lost  ones  as  a  double  row  of  bayonets  or  a  small- 
pox quarantine.  The  services  are  unintelligible  to  the  ignor- 
ant, irrelevant  to  the  poor,  and  misleading  to  the  vicious.  Our 
plant  is  no  more  intended  to  attract  the  friendless  and  ragged 
than  the  Waldorf-Astoria  hotel  or  Delmonico's.  It  is  simply 
ridiculous  to  pretend  anything  else. 

u  In  order  to  keep  such  an  expensive  plant  moving,  the 
patronage  of  many  well-to-do  people  must  be  obtained  and 
kept.  Nuthing  must  be  done  or  said  to  drive  them  away  or 
prevent  others  coming.  The  ragged  and  dirty  cannot  be  in- 
cluded in  such  a  congregation.  One  class  or  the  other  must 
go.  Neither  can  many  who  are  not  wholly  respectable  be 
made  welcome.  No  fashionable  woman  or  pharisaical  man 
cares  to  sit  in  the  same  pew  with  people  of  no  respectabil- 
ity. There  is  no  pay  in  the  poor  or  influence  in  the  downtrod- 
den, no  help  in  the  publican,  no  reliability  in  the  stranger 
and  homeless.  A  church  enterprise  can  no  more  be  made 
successful  with  such  material  than  a  dry  goods  store  or  a  sum- 
mer resort.  It  takes  money  to  run  a  church  like  ours.  This 
talk  about  the  poor  and  friendless  is  all  bosh.  Of  course,  as  a 
side  issue,  if  we  are  not  too  busy  with  our  own  affairs,  we  in- 
tend to  do  a  little  something  in  this  line,  but  as  a  general 
thinrr,  we'll  neither  have  the  time  nor  the  facilities  for  such 


THE     RICH    NAN'S    CHUKCH.  165 

work.  Now,  there  you  have  the  matter  straight,  and  if  my 
standing  in  this  association  is  affected  by  my  statements,  I 
wish  to  withdraw  at  once." 

Then  he  sat  down  and  glared  defiantly  at  the  convention, 
when  he  discovered  that  they  were  all  sound  asleep.  A  dead 
silence  prevailed  for  some  minutes,  when  the  president  awoke 
with  a  start,  and  said  that  he  would  entertain  a  motion  of  a 
vote  of  thanks  to  the  newly  elected  member  for  his  scholarly 
and  eloquent  address,  after  which  the  convention  would  ad- 
journ to  the  banquet  room  where  an  elaborate  bill  of  fare 
awaited  them  in  honor  of  the  occasion. 

Then  I  awoke  and  discovered  I  had  been  dreaming. 

Notwithstanding  I  had  been  dreaming,  I  had  been  listen 
ing  to  some  very  solemn  truths.     I  suppose  my  dream   was 
occasioned  by  the  presence  of  two  new,  magnificent  churches, 
just  completed,  in  the  most  fashionable  quarter  of  our  city. 

These  churches,  with  every  modern  improvement,  palatial 
without,  gorgeous  within,  are  now  bidding  for  patronage  and 
support.  Who  are  they  asking  to  come  ?  Their  deeds  speak 
louder  than  their  words.  The  location  which  they  have 
selected,  the  grandeur  with  which  they  have  surrounded  them- 
selves, the  expensive  luxuries  they  have  provided,  all  speak 
louder  than  words  as  to  the  kind  of  people  they  wish  to  attract. 
The  location  of  the  church  is  also  exactly  where  the  poor  will 
not  or  cannot  come.  These  churches  must  have  rich  men,  else 
they  cannot  be  maintained.  These  rich  men  must  be  toadied, 
and  everything  carefully  guarded  against  which  is  calculated 
to  offend  them. 

Therefore,  the  whole  truth  cannot  be  told.  The  poor  will 
not  be  defended.  The  oppressed  will  have  no  advocate  in  this 
place.  A  preacher  would  be  simply  idiotic  to  step  into  such  a 
pulpit  and  say  anything  offensive  to  the  rich.  After  a  church 
enterprise  has  gone  to  such  enormous  expense  to  invite  the 
rich  and  fashionable,  for  the  preacher  to  get  up  in  his  pulpit 
and  say  anything  to  drive  them  away  again,  would  be  asinine. 


166  REV.    TALK  WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

But  there  is  no  danger  that  he  will  do  so.  He  will  carefully 
guard  the  fastidiousness  and  the  sensitiveness  of  his  rich  pew 
holders. 

For  shame  !  for  shame !  that  we  should  call  this  sort  of  a 
performance  Christian  ministry.  Such  churches  may  be  all 
right  in  the  evolution  of  society,  but  why  the  doing  of  such 
things  should  be  called  following  Jesus  is  an  ever-growing 
mystery  to  me.  When  Jesus  made  a  public  announcement  of 
his  ministry  to  Nazareth  he  said :  u  The  spirit  of  the  Lord  is 
upon  me  because  He  hath  anointed  me  to  preach  good  tidings 
to  the  poor.  He  hath  sent  me  to  heal  the  broken  hearted,  to 
preach  deliverance  to  captives,  and  recovery  of  sight  to  the 
blind,  to  set  at  liberty  them  that  are  bruised." 

Now  how  any  man  in  his  right  senses,  whose  business  it  is 
to  run  one  of  these  fashionable  churches,  can  persuade  him- 
self that  he  has  such  a  mission  as  Jes"us  proclaimed  his  mission 
to  be,  goes  beyond  any  imagination  that  I  am  capable  of. 
These  churches  are  doubtless  performing  a  good  function  in 
society,  but  it  is  not  the  function  of  gospel  ministry. 


THE   DOCTRINE   OF   LAISSEZ  FAIRE. 


•«  While  Ye  Gather  the  Tares  Ye  Uproot  the  Wheat  Also." 


R.  TALKWELL  said  last  Sunday  morning : 

If  all  the  people,  especially  clergymen,  would 
study  the  parables  of  Jesus  with  the  same  interest 
they  do  the  metaphysics  of  Paul,  there  would  be 
less  confusion  as  to  the  teachings  of  Jesus.  It  is  safe  to  say 
that  ten  sermons  are  preached  from  the  controversies  of  Paul, 
where  one  is  preached  from  the  gentle,  plain  teachings  of  the 
Master.  It  is  so  much  easier  to  find  texts  appropriate  to  the 
work  of  church  organizations  '  in  the  writings  of  Paul,  who 
never  saw  Jesus  (in  the  flesh)  than  to  find  such  texts  in  the 
words  of  Jesus  himself.  The  fact  that  the  writings  of  Paul 
happened  to  be  bound  in  the  same  book  with  the  teachings  of 
Jesus  has  done  more  to  obscure  and  pervert  the  Gospel  than 
all  the  other  causes  combined.  Paul  never  spoke  with  Jesus, 
never  saw  the  Gospels,  and  except  by  hearsay  and  tradition 
knew  nothing  whatever  of  the  Master.  The  wonder  is  that  he 
should  ever  have  been  regarded  as  a  competent  expositor  of 
the  teachings  of  Jesus. 

But  without  pursuing  this  subject  any  further,  allow  me 
to  call  your  attention  to  one  of  the  beautiful  parables  of 
Jesus,  this  morning,  as  it  gives  better  answer  to  many  of  the 
questions  before  me,  than  any  words  of  mine  could  do.  The 
parable  which  I  quote  from  the  13th  chapter  of  Matthew  is  as 
follows  : 

u  The  kingdom  of  heaven  is  likened  unto  a  man  that 
sowed  good  seed  in  his  field;  but  while  men  slept,  his  enemy 


168  DR.    TALKWKLL'S     SKETCHES. 

came  and  sowed  t^res  also  among  the  wheat  and  went  away. 
But  when  the  blade  sprang  up  and  brought  forth  fruit  then 
appeared  the  tares  also.  And  the  servants  of  the  householder 
came  and  said  unto  him :  Sir,  didst  thou  not  sow  good  seed  in 
thy  field?  Whence  then  hath  it  tares?  And  he  said  unto 
them :  An  eneni}7  hath  done  this.  And  the  servants  say  unto 
him:  Wilt  thou  then  that  we  go  and  gather  them  up?  But 
he  saith :  Nay ;  lest  haply  while  ye  gather  up  the  tares  ye 
root  up  the  wheat  with  them.  Let  both  grow  together  until 
the  harvest ;  and  in  the  time  of  harvest  I  will  say  to  the 
reapers :  Gather  up  first  the  tares  and  bind  them  in  bundles 
to  burn  them ;  but  gather  the  wheat  into  my  barn." 

Now  in  this  parable  we  have  the  world  placed  before  us 
in  a  nutshell.  The  good  seed  of  God's  own  planting,  (the 
wheat),  growing  side  by  side  with  the  bad  seed  which  human 
greed  and  depravity  has  planted,  (the  tares).  It  is  proposed 
by  the  servant  to  uproot  the  tares,  but  the  Master  objects  on 
the  ground  that  while  they  are  endeavoring  to  uproot  the 
tares  they  would  also  uproot  the  wheat.  Let  them  both  grow, 
and  when  the  harvesters  come,  then  will  they  be  able  to  dis- 
cern the  tares  and  separate  them  from  the  wheat. 

I  wish  I  could  paint  this  lesson  on  the  sky  and  stamp  it 
on  the  forehead  of  every  fanatical  bigot  that  infests  the  earth. 
What  a  rebuke  this  gentle  parable  contains  for  that  numerous 
tribe  of  social  busy-bodies  and  theologicial  harpies  who 
imagine  they  are  doing  God's  will  simply  because  they  are 
making  themselves  disagreeable  to  every  well-balanced  mind. 

This  parable  presents  to  the  mind  the  whole  world  of 
human  activities,  good  and  bad ;  things  that  make  for  peace, 
and  things-thai  make  for  strife,  growing  side  by  side.  Institu- 
tions that  degrade  and  institutions  that  elevate.  Enterprises 
that  rob  and  ravage  as  well  as  enterprises  that  heal  and 
succor.  Organizations  that  enrich  and  beautify,  closely 
imitated  by  organizations  that  destroy  and  deform.  All  these 
thriving,  growing  and  working  together,  and  yet  so  linked  to 


THE     DOCTRINE     OF     LAISSE/,    FAIRE.  169 

each  other,  so  intimately  entangled  that  to  attempt  to  uproot 
one  we  are  in  danger  of  uprooting  the  other. 

Narrow-minded  zeal  says,  let  us  exterminate  the  wicked 
tares.  But  the  wise  householder  says,  let  them  grow  together. 
Thin-headed  egotism  selects  what  he  supposes  to  be  tares  and 
proposes  in  his  blind  fury  to  pull  them  up.  But  the  lord  of 
the  harvest  bids  him  stop,  lest  he  uproot  also  the  wheat. 
Presumptuous  ignorance  proposes  a  crusade  of  hostility  and 
uncompromising  warfare,  but  the  wisdom  of  real  knowledge 
hesitates  before  the  problem  of  deciding  whether  this  or  that 
had  best  be  uprooted  or  let  alone.  Let  them  alone.  Here  we 
find  the  origin  of  the  doctrine  of  Laissez  Faire. 

Jesus  did  not  pose  as  a  reformer.  He  criticized  nothing 
but  the  hypocritical  pharisees  and  the  rich.  Neither  did  he 
pose  as  an  organizer.  He  defended  none  but  the  poor,  the 
outcast  and  the  degraded.  He  warned  the  oppressor  and  con- 
soled the  oppressed,  but  he  sought  in  no  way  to  arbitrarily 
interfere  with  the  order  of  'things.  All  things  must  grow 
together  until  the  harvest,  If  a  thing  is  good  it  will  bring 
forth  wheat ;  if  not  it  will  be  burned.  Time  will  do  it.  God 
has  so  fixed  it  that  He  does  not  need  any  one  to  uproot  the 
tares  or  to  save  the  wheat.  Let  every  man  see  to  it  that  his 
own  heart  and  life  is  what  it  should  be,  and  God  will  do  the 
rest.  The  mote  in  my  own  eye  is  my  business,  not  the  sup-, 
posed  beam  in  my  neighbor's  eye.  All  unholy  things  will 
perish  by  inherent  defects. 

No  human  institution  or  activity  is  wholly  good  or  wholly 
bad.  Each  one  has  its  blades  of  wheat  and  tares.  The 
attempt  to  uproot  the  blades  of  tares  will  result  in  uprooting 
the  wheat,  and  the  whole  thing  must  start  over  again,  to  go 
through  the  natural  evolution  step  by  step  once  more.  Every 
institution  is  crude  and  faulty  in  the  beginning.  The  tares  of 
human  imperfection  appear  in  great  numbers  at  first.  Gradu- 
ally, as  time  goes  on,  if  they  are  allowed  to  grow  with  the 
wheat,  their  worthlessness  or  harmfulness  is  revealed.  The 
harvester  can  then  separate  them  safely. 


170  REV.     TALKWELI/S     SKETCHES. 

Before  any  enterprise  of  human  activity  has  passed 
through  the  natural  evolution  of  its  growth,  no  man  can  tell 
which  of  its  elements  are  good,  or  which  are  bad.  Something 
good  will  remain  if  allowed  to  grow  after  all  the  bad  has  been 
burned.  There  is  some  wheat  in  everything  that  God  allows 
to  come  into  existence. 

History  is  God's  word  to  man ;  the  only  inspired  word. 
The  world  is  making  history  every  day.  In  this  way  God  i& 
teaching  us  what  to  do  and  what  not  to  do.  The  good  lives- 
forever;  the  bad  will  finally  be  burned,  but  can  not  be  prema- 
turely uprooted.  The  good  is  God's  guide  posts  showing  the 
way  to  go.  The  bad  is  God's  light  houses  showing  the  danger- 
ous places — the  way  not  to  go.  Each  kind  has  its  function  to 
perform,  which  no  man  can  destroy  or  avert. 

What,  then,  is  the  hope  of  the  world  ?  If  the  good  and 
the  bad  are  to  grow  together  until  the  function  of  each  be 
fulfilled,  what  shall  we  do  to  be  saved?  Educate,  educate : 
that's  all  that  can  be  done.  Education  is  the  only  radical  cure 
for  evil.  In  the  meantime  palliatives  must  be  used,  perhaps, 
such  as  prisons,  almshouses,  asylums,  and  the  like,  but  these 
only  palliate;  they  can  not  cure.  Education  is  the  only 
specific  treatment.  Behind  every  evil  is  some  kind  or  degree 
of  ignorance.  Education  alone  will  avail. 

The  church  is  doing  a  portion  of  this  work  of  education. 
To  be  sure  it  reaches  directly  only  a  few  as  yet.  From  the 
middle  class  the  church  mainly  draws  its  support.  The 
extremely  prosperous  and  the  extremely  unprosperous  are 
practically  untouched  by  the  church.  Yet  it  is  doing  a  greater 
educational  work  today  than  ever  before.  Its  ethics  are  often 
faulty,  its  themes  are  often  of  no  value,  and  its  motives  often 
selfish,  yet  as  an  institution  of  popular  education  it  could  not  be 
spared.  It  has  before  it  a  tedious  work,  a  long  and  difficult 
work  in  which  it  will  be  more  and  more  assisted  by  the  col- 
leges, the  press  and  the  drama.  The  light  is  breaking  slowly 
but  surely.  Before  that  light  all  evil  will  disappear.  All  this 


THE     DOCTRIXK     OF     LAISSEZ     FAIRE.  17J 

has  been  going  on  many  centuries.  How  long,  oh  Lord,  how 
long? 

In  the  meantime,  while  the  millenium  lingers,  there  are 
the  lost  sheep,  the  prodigal  sons.  These  the  church  can  not 
reach,  can  not  touch.  For  these  there  is  no  church,  no  hope. 
To  these  the  Christian  minister  is  sent.  To  these  he  must  go. 
He  must,  like  Jesus,  take  upon  himsell  their  woes,  their  pov- 
erty, their  suffering.  He  must  leave  no  chasm  of  fortune  or 
fame  between  himself  and  those  he  would  succor.  He  must, 
like  Jesus,  become  poorer  than  the  birds,  who  have  nests ; 
poorer  than  the  foxes,  who  have  holes. 

It  was  not  the  work  of  the  Master  to  uproot  the  institu- 
tions of  society,  neither  is  it  the  work  of  the  Christian  minister. 
Society  is  working  out  its  own  salvation,  according  to  inherent 
laws — God's  laws.  Not  one  jot  or  tittle  of  this  law  will  be 
destroyed  till  all  is  fulfilled.  To  those  under  the  law,  to  those 
upon  whom  the  law  rests  most  heavily,  the  minister  is  called 
to  bind  up  the  wounds,  to  defend  the  weak,  to  bring  cheer  to 
the  hopeless. 


IMPOTENCE  OF  THE  CHURCH. 


41  But  Woe  Unto  You,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  Hypocrites!     For  Ye 

Shut  Up  the  Kingdom  of  Heaven  Against  Men  ;  for  Ye  Neither 

Go  In  Yourselves,  Neither  Suffer  Ye  Them  that  are 

Entering  to  Go  In." 


JOE  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites!  for 
ye   devour   widows'   houses,   and    for   a   pretense 
make  long  prayer ;  therefore  ye  shall  receive  the 
greater  damnation. 
"  Woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for  ye 
compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte,  and  when  he  is 
made,  ye  make   him   twofold   more   the  child   of    hell    than 
yourselves." 

Dr.  Talkwell  announced  last  Sunday  that  four  of  his 
former  parishioners  had  followed  his  example  and  opened 
their  homes  to  Christian  hospitality.  All  superfluous 
and  costly  furniture  had  been  replaced  by  such  things  as 
to  "  tempt  no  man  to  steal."  No  hungry  or  homeless 
man  should  ever  be  turned  empty-handed  away  from  these 
homes  again.  The  doctor  said :  "  This  is  what  I  call  con- 
version. This  is  the  c  new  birth.'  This  is  Christian  work. 
I  wait  for  more  to  follow.  In  the  meantime  I  will  continue  to 
make  my  home  what  I  wish  my  hearers  to  copy. 

I  have  had  occasion  to  state  several  times  that  the 
churches  and  pastors  of  the  cities  have  neither  the  time  nor 
the  facilities  for  doing  any  real,  practical  Christian  work. 
They  are  already  staggering  under  burdens  of  their  own, 


[MPOTENCE    OF    THE    CHURCH.  173 

burdens  which  in  no  way  relate  to  the  work  which  Jesus 
assigned  to  his  followers.  They  are  the  burdens  of  building 
churches,  the  burdens  of  maintaining  choirs,  the  burdens  of 
raising  the  preacher's  salary,  .the  burdens  of  raising  money  for 
the  various  ecclesiastical  societies.  It  is  a  heavy  load  that  the 
churches  are  already  bearing;  it  is  an  irksome  task  that  the 
preachers  are  already  performing. 

To  ask  or  expect  of  them  to  extend  a  hand  to  a  fallen  oner 
or  rescue  a  perishing  brother  or  sister,  to  give  a  cup  of  cold 
water  to  the  thirsty  or  bread  to  the  hungry ;  to  go  to  the  pris- 
oner in  his  dingy  cell,  or  visit  the  sick,  to  ask  or  expect  them 
to  do  such  things  as  these,  in  addition  to  the  burdens  they  are 
already  bearing,  is  too  much.  They  must  either  give  up  the 
vexatious  folly  of  pretending  to  do  Christian  work  at  all,  or 
else  continually  disappoint  those  who  expect  any  practical 
Christianity  of  them.  They  cannot  do  Christian  work  in 
addition  to  the  work  they  are  already  doing.  It  is  simply 
impossible. 

One  of  the  many  proofs  which  I  might  cite  that  these 
statements  are  true,  I  am  about  to  present.  Before  I  gave  up 
all  hope  that  the  church  might  be  made  to  do  practical  Chris- 
tian work,  I  conceived  a  plan  by  which  each  church  could  be 
given  an  opportunity  to  do  a  little  of  this  kind  of  work.  I  had 
been  for  a  long  time  visiting  the  city  prison  nearly  every  day. 
I  found  many  truant  boys  and  girls  confined  there  simply 
because  they  were  out  of  money,  were  strangers  away  from 
home  and  friends.  I  found  these  people  many  times  penitent 
and  piteously  pleading  for  some  one  to  help  them  out  of  the 
pit  into  which  they  had  fallen.  My  attention  was  called  to 
these  creatures  every  day.  I  could  dispose  of  a  few  of  these 
people  by  my  unaided  effort,  but  the  greater  number  of  them 
had  to  go  down  because  there  was  no  friend  to  help  them.  My 
heart  bled  for  them,  but  I  had  not  the  facilities  to  save  them. 

In  my  despair  and  extremity  I  appealed  to  the  churches 
to  help  me.  I  accordingly  addressed  to  them  a  letter  which  I 


174  REV.    TALK  WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

will  read  to  you.     The  letters  read  as  follows,  and  were  ad- 
dressed to  the  pastors  : 

"  DEAR  SIB  AND  BROTHER — We  will  agree,  of  course,  that 
nothing  is  so  much  needed  today  as  some  scheme  to  help  the 
fallen  and  degraded.  This  is  your  mission  more  distinctly 
than  my  own;  hence  I  turn  to  you  in  my  dilemma.  I  have 
for  some  time  been  visiting  the  city  prison,  with  a  view  to  be- 
friending those  who  desire  help.  I  try  to  find  out  from  them 
what  they  expect  to  do  when  liberated.  I  try  to  put  myself 
in  their  place  and  solve  their  problems  for  them.  When  lib- 
erated I  act  as  a  friend  and  adviser.  The  first  thing  they 
must  have,  of  course,  is  a  place  to  work.  Some  honest  work 
sufficient  to  keep  them  from  starving.  Here  is  where  my 
chief  difficulty  lies.  No  one  wants  them.  They  are  jail-birds. 
They  try,  but  not  being  able  to  find  work,  become  discouraged 
and  relapse.  I  have  carried  this  matter  in  my  heart  for  a 
long  time,  trying  to  devise  some  scheme  to  assist  them.  I 
will  submit  to  you  what  seems  to  me  to  be  the  only  solution 
possible.  If  you  know  among  your  parishioners  one  or  more 
business  men,  who  have  some  menial  work  to  do,  involving 
no  trust  or  skill,  who  will  take  one  of  these  persons  for 
Christ's  sake  and  give  him  one  more  trial  for  his  life,  will  you 
not  solicit  his  assistance?  If  so,  will  you  arrange  with  him  to 
take  one  of  these  persons? 

I  will  first  see  to  it  that  the  person  I  send  to  you  is  clean, 
free  from  disease,  desirous  of  becoming  a  Christian  and  will- 
ing to  do  any  menial  work  whatever  to  earn  a  livelihood.  I 
will  then  send  the  person  to  you,  and  if,  after  conversation 
with  him,  you  find  that  all  of  these  things  are  true  of  him,  you 
will  then  take  him  to  the  employment  you  have  provided  and 
keep  an  oversight  of  him.  If  each  preacher  in  this  city  would 
take  one  such  person  every  six  months  I  could  dispose  of  all 
such  people  I  can  find  by  regularly  visiting  the  city  prison 
and  low  places.  I  will  not  send  you  to  exceed  two  persons  a 
year  unless  you  desire  it.  This  has  the  advantage  of  not 


IMPOTENCE    OF    THE    CHURCH.  175 

seeming  to  them  charity  or  a  society  of  criminals,  but  gives 
them  the  encouraging  feeling  that  they  are  free  from  their  old 
life. 

I  try  not  to  let  them  know  that  I  make  a  practice  of 
doing  this,  but  let  each  one  feel  that  I  have  happened  only  to 
be  his  friend.  Can  you  do  this  ?  If  you  will  do  so,  please  let 
me  know.  If  you  at  least  approve  of  this  plan,  let  me  know. 
Put  your  name  on  the  back  of  this  sheet,  and  mail  it  to  a 
brother  minister  of  this  city,  which  will  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity of  doing  the  same  thing,  and  requesting  him  also  to 
pass  it  on  to  the  next  one.  This  will  save  me  the  trouble  and 
•expense  of  addressing  each  minister  a  circular  letter.  I  have 
no  funds  or  assistance  in  this  matter.  A  great  many  men  and 
women  have  expressed  a  desire  to  become  Christians  who  are 
so  low  down  and  so  entirely  without  friends  and  money  that 
it  is  indeed  a  problem  what  they  are  to  do  unless  some 
such  plan  is  brought  to  their  assistance. 

This  would  diffuse  the  burden  of  their  oversight  in  such  a 
way  as  to  make  it  more  helpful.  Each  minister  could  do  as 
he  pleased  about  receiving  such  persons  into  his  church  or 
societies.  Please  send  this  letter  on  and  let  me  hear  from 
•each  one  on  receiving  this  letter." 

I  started  out  three  such  letters  as  this  with  the  request  to 
pass  them  along.  One  of  the  letters  was  returned  to  me 
finally  with  indorsements  on  the  back  of  it  of  about  a  dozen 
of  the  leading  clergymen.  They  all  spoke  well  of  the  plan, 
but  no  one  offered  me  assistance.  The  other  letters  I  never 
heard  from.  I  received  only  one  letter  in  reply,  and  that 
letter  was  from  a  prominent  clergyman  refusing  point-blank  to 
have  anything  to  do  with  any  person  discharged  from  a  prison. 

What  had  I  asked  of  these  clergymen  ?  Simply  that  they 
allow  me  to  bring  to  their  notice  a  boy  or  girl,  friendless  and 
•destitute,  who  wanted  to  be  a  Christian,  willing  to  do  any 
work,  to  hold  their  place  only  during  good  behavior,  guilty  of 
no  crime,  a  victim  of  cruel  circumstances  over  which  they  had 


176  DR.  TALKWELL'S  SKETCHES. 

no  control.  I  simply  asked  the  privilege  of  bringing  such  a 
boy  or  girl  to  the  pastor's  study  that  he  might  satisfy  himself 
as  to  the  merits  of  the  case.  I  was  simply  trying  to  bring 
practical  missionary  work  to  the  very  doors  of  the  church. 
Knowing  that  pastors  are  very  busy  men,  I  tried  to  bring  them 
such  work  as  would  only  cost  them  a  few  moments'  time  and 
a  few  words  of  recommendation.  But  no  one  responded  to 
my  letter.  And  yet  they  go  right  on  raising  money  for 
foreign  missionary  work.  They  go  right  on  accepting  the 
widow's  mite  to  send  to  China  and  will  not  raise  one  finger  to 
help  these  perishing  ones  at  home. 

In  my  grief  and  disappointment  at  receiving  no  help  from 
the  pastors  I  visited  one  of  the  oldest  pastors  of  the  city,  since 
retired  from  the  pnlpit,  and  explained  to  him  my  disappoint- 
ment and  discouragement.  He  said  in  substance  : 

"  I  have  long  been  in  the  pastoral  work.  I  know  by  ex- 
perience that  the  preachers  of  this  city,  or  any  other  city,  can 
riot  do  the  kind  of  work  you  wish  them  to  do.  They  have  no 
time  for  such  work.  Their  parishioners  have  no  faith  in  such 
work.  They  dare  not  employ  such  men,  even  on  the  recom 
mendation  of  their  pastor.  Everybody  is  too  much  absorbed 
in  his  own  affairs  to  attend  to  such  things.  The  pastor  dare 
not  upbraid  his  parishioners  for  their  hard-heartedness  lest 
they  withdraw  their  support  from  his  church.*' 

I  replied:  "  So  then,  it  is  your  opinion,  is  it,  that  the 
church  is  unfitted  to  do  this  sort  of  work? " 

"  Yes,  that  is  my  opinion,  although  I  know  that  many  of 
them  would  be  willing  to  if  they  knew  how  to  do  so.  What 
we  need  is  less  theology  and  more  practical  Christian  work  in 
our  pulpits.  We  need  preachers  who  can  show  the  people 
how  to  do  this  sort  of  work,  both  by  precept  and  example. 
This  is  the  work  of  the  coming  church.  The  church  is  cany- 
ing  altogether  too  much  dead  wood  membership,  and  dragging 
after  it  too  much  traditional  nonsense  to  be  able  to  do  such 
work  today." 

Alas!  I  have  found  these  words  were  the  solemn  truth. 
I  have  given  up  expecting  anything  of  this  sort  from  the 
church. 


CALL  NO  MAN   "REVEREND. 


The  Disciple  is  not  Above  his  Master,  nor  the  Servant  Above 
his  Lord." 


THE  Rev.  Dr.  Talkwell  in  ? "  said  a  gentleman  who 
had  called  at  the  home  of  Dr.  Talkwell  on  North 
Third  street,  one  day  last  week. 

"  Yes,"  replied  Mrs.  Talkwell,  who  had  opened  the 
door  to  receive  the  visitor.  "I  suppose  you  mean  my  hus- 
band, Mr.  Talkwell." 

He  was  shown  to  the  plain  library  of  Dr.  Talkwell,  who 
was  engaged  in  conversation -with  several  people  who  evi- 
dently belonged  to  the  lower  classes. 

"Is  this  the  Rev.  Dr.  Talkwell?"  the  caller  enquired. 

u  Yes,  sir.  My  name  is  Talkwell.  Be  seated.  What  can 
I  do  for  you  ?  " 

"  Well,  to  come  at  once  to  the  point,  I  have  come  to  ask 
you  what  I  ought  to  do  to  be  a  Christian.  I  have  led  a  more 
or  less  careless  and  indifferent  life,  during  which  time  I  have 
accumulated  quite  a  large  property.  I  am  getting  along 
toward  the  middle  of  life  and  I  should  like  to  begin  to  lead  a 
religious  life.  I  have  read  much  of  you  lately,  and  have  con- 
cluded to  come  to  you  and  ask  you  the  question  that  has  been 
so  often  asked  :  What  shall  I  do  to  be  saved  ?  " 

"  Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  your  errand  this  morning 
reminds  me  of  a  similar  occasion  on  which  a  man  came  to 
Jesus  with  about  the  same  question.  As  I  take  Jesus  for  my 
guide  in  all  things,  I  will  read  it  for  you,  and  let  us  see  if  we 
can  not  get  some  light  on  your  question. 


178  DR.    TALKWELL'vS     SKETCHES. 

"  It  is  in  the  19th  chapter  of  Matthew,  beginning  with  the 
16th  verse : 

"  'And  behold,  one  came  and  said  unto  Him  :  Good 
Master,  what  good  things  shall  I  do  that  I  may  have  eternal 
life? 

"  'And  He  said  unto  him:  Why  callest  thou  me  good? 
There  is  none  good  but  one.  That  is  God.  But  if  thou  wilt 
enter  into  life,  keep  the  Commandments. 

'"He  said  unto  Him  :     Which ? 

"  '  Jesus  said :  Thou  shalt  do  no  murder.  Thou  shalt 
not  commit  adultery.  Thou  shalt  not  steal.  Thou  shalt  not 
bear  false  witness.  Honor  thy  father  and  thy  mother.  And 
thou  shalt  love  thy  neighbor  as  thyself. 

"  'And  the  young  man  said  unto  him  :  All  these  things 
have  I  kept  from  my  youth  up.  What  lack  I  yet  ? 

•'  'Jesus  said  unto  him  :  "  If  thou  wilt  be  perfect,  go  and 
sell  that  thou  hast  and  give  to  the  poor,  and  thou  shalt  have 
treasure  in  heaven.  And  come  and  follow  me. 

"  '  But  when  the  young  man  heard  that  saying  he  went 
away  sorrowful,  for  he  had  great  possessions.' 

"  You  see,"  said  Dr.  Talkwell,  "  this  is  a  very  similar  case 
to  your  own.  You  come  lo  me  inquiring  the  way  of  eternal 
life,  or  how  to  be  a  Christian,  as  you  put  it.  You  say  you  are 
a  man  of  considerable  property,  and  you  want  me  to  state  in 
brief  what  you  shall  do  to  be  saved. 

u  In  the  first  place,  I  noticed  when  you  addressed 
•me  you  called  me  'reverend.'  Now,  if  I  were  to  follow  my 
Master  I  should  object  to  your  calling  me  reverend.  Only 
-one  is  entitled  to  reverence,  and  that  is  God.  We  should 
revere  only  that  which  is  perfect,  and  no  man  is  perfect. 
Even  the  Master  would  not  allow  the  young  man  to  call  him 
good.  There  is  only  one  who  is  good  ;  that  is  God.  All  men 
are  fallible.  To  call  men  '  reverend  '  is  simply  to  perpetuate 
past  superstitions  arid  ignorance.  The  time  was  when  priests 
were  supposed  to  have  divine  powers,  unlike  other  men. 


CALL    NO    MAN    "REVEREND."  179 

Those  times  are  nearly  past,  and  the  titles  should  pass  away 
also.  I  should  much  prei'er  that  you  call  me  Mr.  Talkwell,  or, 
as  I  am  generally  known,  Dr.  Talkwell. 

"  But  you  came  to  ask  me  what  you  should  do  to  be  saved. 
My  reply  is,  like  the  reply  of  the  Master:  Keep  the  law.  Be 
a  square  and  honest  man.  Deal  with  your  neighbor  uprightly. 
Treat  men  as  you  would  like  to  be  treated  yourself.  Honor 
your  parents.  Do  nothing  you  are  ashamed  of.  Give  an 
honest  equivalent  for  everything  you  get.  If  you  will  do 
these  things,  you  will  have  eternal  life. 

"  But,"  replied  the  caller,  "  do  you  mean  to  say  that  if  I 
am  simply  a  mural  man,  that  I  would  be  religious?" 

fc*  Certainly  I  mean  to  say  that.  Is  this  not  what  the 
Master  said  ? " 

a  Well,  I  have  done  these  things.  I  have  conducted  my 
business  fairly.  I  have  wronged  no  man  that  I  know  of.  I 
have  treated  my  neighbor  exactly  as  I  would  be  treated.  I 
surely  think  that  I  have  honored  my  father  and  mother,  but  I 
supposed  in  order  to  be  religious  I  had  to  do  something  more 
than  this.  I  always  thought  that  in  order  to  be  religious  a 
person  had  to  be  converted,  join  the  church  and  be  baptized ; 
begin  to  read  the  Bible,  and  attend  church ;  say  prayers  and 
take  public  part  in  religious  meetings  of  various  kinds.  I 
thought  at  least  some  of  these  things  were  necessary  in  order 
to  be  religious/' 

"  Well,"  replied  Dr.  Talkwell,  "  those  are  certainly  the 
traditions  of  this  generation.  All  things  which  you  have 
enumerated  are  generally  expected  as  evidences  of  religion. 
But  with  all  these  I  have  nothing  to  do.  Jesus  is  my  guide, 
and  he  said  nothing  whatever  about  these  things.  If  you 
want  to  be  a  good  man,  a  man  entitled  to  eternal  life,  a  man 
who  would  meet  the  approval  of  Jesus,  you  are  to  keep  the 
law  simply,  be  a  good  man. 

. "  I  do  not  say  that  these  things  you  have  enumerated  will 
not   help   you   to   keep   the   law.     Certainly,  I   believe   that 


180  DR.    TALKWELlv'S    SKETCHES. 

prayer  is  absolutely  essential  to  success  in  keeping  the  law,, 
but  according  to  Jesus,  prayer  should  always  be  in  private." 

"  Well,  then,"  replied  the  caller,  "  according  to  your  talk, 
it  would  seem  that  I  am  already  a  religious  man  without 
knowing  it.  I  had  received  the  impression  from  things  I  had 
heard  of  you.  that  you  would  have  every  man  quit  business 
and  pay  no  attention  to  his  own  good,  giving  his  whole  life  for 
the  benefit  of  the  poor  and  down-trodden." 

"  No,*'  replied  Dr.  Talkwell,  u  you  are  entirely  mistaken. 
I  do  not  advise  men  to  do  any  such  things  in  order  to  be 
religious.  I  have  never  said  so,  nor  have  I  any  such  thought 
in  my  mind.  The  honest,  fair-dealing  business  man  or  the 
honest  working  man  of  today  has  the  essentials  of  eternal  life. 
I  have  nothing  whatever  to  offer  to  such  a  man,  except  to 
repeat  to  him  the  law  the  same  as  my  Master  did. 

"  I  always  try  to  express  my  conviction  that  constant 
communion  with  God  greatly  assists  such  life.  This  commun 
ion  may  have  the  form  of  prayer,  or  even  an  honest  wish  to  be 
good  and  true,  a  wish  that  is  heartfelt  and  sincere.  There  can 
be  no  better  prayer  than  such  a  wish,  and  God  will  answer 
such  a  prayer." 

"  But,"  replied  the  caller,  "  did  not  Jesus  in  the  story  you 
have  read  to  me,  advise  the  young  man  to  sell  his  property 
and  come  and  follow  him  ?  " 

u  Yes,  he  did.  If  you  wish  to  become  a  follower  of  Jesusr 
that  is  what  you  will  have  to  do,"  replied  Dr.  Talkwell. 

"  But  you  didn't  ask  me  what  you  must  do  to  become  a 
follower  of  Jesus,  you  only  asked  me  what  you  must  do  to 
inherit  eternal  life.  If  you  have  come  here  this  morning  to 
inquire  of  me  what  you  must  do  to  become  a  disciple  of  Jesusr 
I.  would  give  you  exactly  the  same  advice  as  Jesus  did  the 
young  man.  You  cannot  follow  Jesus  and  own  any  property. 
You  cannot  follow  Jesus  and  have  any  remunerative  occupa- 
tion of  any  sort.  In  order  to  become  a  follower  of  Jesus  you 


CALL    NO    MAN    "REVEREND."  181 

have  got  to  do  as  Jesus  did,  throw  yourseJf  entirely  upon 
providential  protection. 

u  But  I  did  not  understand  that  you  wished  to  become  a 
follower  of  Jesus.  You  were  merely  inquiring  the  way  of 
eternal  life." 

*'  Do  you  then  make  a  distinction  between  the  followers 
of  Jesus  and  other  religious  men  ? "  asked  the  caller. 

"  Certainly  I  do.  Jesus  called  only  a  few  men  to  follow 
him  in  the  life  he  led.  Surely  you  must  recognize  that  Jesus 
expected  different  things  of  the  twelve  disciples  he  called 
about  him  than  he  expected  from  the  multitudes  he  taught. 

"  If  you  have  any  idea  of  going  into  the  Christian  ministry, 
the  first  thing  you  must  do  is  to  put  your  possessions  where 
the  poor  and  the  needy  shall  derive  the  greatest  possible 
benefit  from  them.  The  only  way  you  can  show  any  confi- 
dence whatever  in  your  calling  as  a  Christian  minister  is  to 
refuse  to  have  any  other  income  than  Jesus  had.  He  had  not 
even  a  place  to  lay  his  head,  although  before  entering  upon 
his  mission,  we  have  every  reason  to  suppose  that  he  was  a 
prosperous  carpenter.  Had  he  continued  his  vocation  as  a 
carpenter,  he  would  probably  never  have  been  distinguished 
from  any  other  good  honest  carpenter.  But  when  he  chose 
the  mission  of  Christian  ministry  he  became  poor  and  homeless 
like  those  to  whom  he  went. 

u  If  you  wish  to  do  this  work  you  must  do  likewise.  Going 
to  the  poor  means  becoming  like  them — poor." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  caller,  "  it  is  very  evident  to  me  that 
I  do  not  wish  to  become  a  Christian  minister.  I  only  want  to 
insure  my  salvation." 

"All  right.  You  go  right  on,  then,  being  a  good  man. 
Continue  to  do  an  honest  business,  according  to  business  prin- 
ciples, and  you  need  have  no  worry  about  the  traditions  of 
the  church.  Treat  your  employes  exactly  as  you  would  wish 
to  be  treated  if  you  were  to  change  places.  Pay  decent  wages. 
Be  courteous  and  patient  with  all  subordinates. 


182  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

"  If,  according  to  your  own  best  judgment,  you  believe 
that  you  can  be  a  better  man  by  joining  the  church,  by  getting 
baptized,  or  by  following  any  of  the  other  traditions  of  the 
church,  you  ought  to  do  so.  But  if  you  do  any  such  things 
because  you  think  Jesus  commanded  them,  you  will  be  doing 
a  very  foolish  thing. 

"  If  the  church  helps  you  to  be  a  good  man,  you  ought  by 
all  means  to  help  the  church  in  return.  It  is  an  honest  debt 
you  owe  the  church,  which  is  just  as  binding  upon  you  as  the 
debt  you  owe  your  grocer.  But  if,  on  the  other  hand,  the 
church  renders  you  no  assistance,  its  ministrations  are  of  no 
use  to  you;  it  is  simply  unmitigated  foolishness  and  nonsense 
for  you  to  have  anything  to  do  with  it. 

u  There  are  a  few  things  that  I  would  like  to  say  to  you 
before  you  go,  which  may  not  be  out  of  place.  I  wish  you 
would  take  the  gospel  according  to  Matthew,  and  make  it  a 
study.  Read  it  over  and  over  again,  and  take  Jesus  for  your 
guide.  Try  to  forget  all  you  have  been  taught  about  Jesus, 
and  just  take  the  gospel  as  it  reads. 

"  If  you  will  do  this  and  practice  according  to  it,  you  will 
find  life  growing  happier  every  day.  Never  mind  what  other 
people  say  about  Jesus ;  read  for  yourself  what  he  said. 

"  But  try  to  remember  always  the  distinction  between  the 
duties  of  a  Christian  minister  and  the  duties  of  the  multi- 
tude. Jesus  did  not  come  to  bring  a  new  law,  but  to  reassert 
the  old  law.  He  did  not  come  to  bind  new  burdens  upon  the 
people,  but  to  show  them  how  to  bear  their  old  burdens, 
show  them  how  to  get  rid  of  needless  burdens.  He  called  a 
few  people  about  him  to  assist  him  in  this  work.  To  these  few 
people  he  gave  specific  instructions  not  intended  for  the  mul- 
titude. 

u  If  you  wish  simply  to  be  a  religious  man,  keep  the  law. 
But  if  you  wish  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus,  expect  to  do  exactly 
as  Jesus  did,  do  not  attempt  to  follow  him  with  a  bag  of 
money  like  Judas.  If  you  do,  you  will  sooner  or  later  betray 
him  for  money." 


AN   ORDINATION  SERMON. 


u  Ye  can  not  Serve  Two  Masters— Ye  can  not 
Serve  God  and  Mammon." 


;R.  TALKWELL  was  invited  to  the  ordination  ser- 
vices of  a  young  man  about  to  be  installed  as  a 
pastor  of  one  of  the  Columbus  churches.  The 
doctor  was  selected  to  deliver  the  charge  to  the 
young  man  in  a  formal  service  intended  to  convey  to  the  can- 
didate an  outline  of  the  work  before  him.  The  doctor  said 
among  other  things : 

My  dear  young  brother,  I  hardly  know  whether  to  congratu- 
late or  condole,  but  there  are  a  few  things  you  ought  to  bear 
well  in  mind  before  you  attempt  to  enter  the  great  work  of 
Christian  ministry.  Your  work  is  simply  to  follow  Jesus. 
Make  friends  among  those  he  made  his  friends.  You  are  not 
a  reformer,  a  missionary  or  a  literary  critic.  Yours  is  the 
work  of  succor,  of  suffering  with  others. 

I  have  always  been  inclined  to  the  opinion,  which  has  be- 
come a  strong  conviction,  that  all  the  forces  that  are  at  work 
in  modern  civilization,  have  a  legitimate  function  to  perform 
in  working  out  the  result  that  lies  before  us.  Each  one  ex- 
presses, imperfectly  as  yet,  some  need  of  a  human  heart  or 
brain.  Arbitrary  hindrance  may  delay  their  fulfillment,  but 
not  defeat.  Artificial  support  may  postpone  the  death  of  in- 
stitutions that  do  not  really  minister  to  human  needs,  but  at 
last  they  will  die.  All  this  is  going  on,  in  the  main  at  least, 
bv  the  aid  of  activities  that  are  not  self-conscious.  Self-con- 


184  DR.    TALK  WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

scious  action  may  try  to  hurry  or  hinder,  but  all  such  effort  is 
absolutely  futile. 

The  battle^is  on.  Right  will  finally  conquer.  In  the 
meantime  the  plan  of  the  battle  is  under  providential  super- 
vision. The  rank  and  file  are  absolutely  unconscious  of  the 
results  they  are  working  out.  The  leaders,  even,  are  working 
under  sealed  orders,  which  they  are  only  allowed  to  open  from 
day  to  day.  We  can  not  stop  this  battle.  We  should  not 
wish  to.  It  will  be  the  final  salvation  of  the  world.  It  is  the 
Messiah  that  has  come  to  deliver  us.  Churches,  monopolies, 
prisons,  factories,  missions,  saloons,  temperance  crusades,  thea- 
ters, families,  marriage,  prostitution — all  these  conflicting, 
ceaseless  forces  are  each  one  here  to  fight  and  to  continue  to 
fight  until  their  contribution  to  human  need  is  discovered  and 
secured.  Every  conceivable  wrong  way  to  live  will  be  tried 
and  rejected  by  the  experiences  of  men. 

This  will  bring  to  some  despair,  wretchedness,  poverty, 
degradation;  toothers,  triumph,  gain,  luxury  and  sensuous  sur- 
feit. In  the  meantime,  those  who  are  called  to  be  ministers, 
those  who  desire  to  follow  Jesus  like  the  corps  of  surgeons 
that  follow  the  battle,  must  seek  the  wounded,  the  helpless, 
the  outraged.  While  we  know  that  the  battle  of  civilization 
that  is  taking  place  before  us,  must  and  will  settle  the  coming 
kingdom  upon  earth,  yet  our  business  is  only  with  the  ones 
who  have  fallen  during  the  battle.  With  the  battle  we  have 
little  or  nothing  to  do.  We  are  not  counted  either  with  those 
who  are  profiting  by  this  contention  (and  are  therefore  among 
those  who  are  well  fed  and  well  provided  for),  nor  among 
those  who  have  fallen  and  need  succor,  but  we  are  among 
those  who  are  sent  to  minister  to  the  ones  that  lie  scattered  on 
the  battlefield  in  all  conditions  of  helplessness  and  mutilation. 

We  can  not  do  this  work  in  some  distant,  luxurious,  com- 
fortable hospital.  We  have  got  to  be  on  the  field.  Some  of 
the  after-effects  of  a  wound  may  be  treated  in  the  institution 
far  away  from  the  scene  of  battle,  but  the  main  work,  in  order 


AN    ORDINATION    SERMON.  185 

to  be  effective,  must  be  individual,  instantaneous,  and  with  a 
complete  and  intimate  knowledge  of  the  situation.  We  can 
not  at  once  be  directing  this  battle,  or  any  portion  of  it,  and 
attend  to  our  duties  in  the  ambulance  corps.  This  fallen  one 
at  our  side  wants  to  know  what  he  shall  do  to  be  saved.  We 
can  not  tell  him  what  he  shall  do.  We  can  only  show  him. 

If  Christ  could  have  told  us  what  to  do  he  need  only  to 
have  written  a  book  in  some  comfortable  place,  and  not  have 
subjected  himself  to  the  discomfort  and  vicissitudes  of  the 
depraved,  of  the  sinners  or  the  outcasts.  If  words  could  have 
conveyed  his  message,  his  crucifixion  between  two  thieves 
would  have  been  unnecessary.  He  could  only  show.  What  he 
said,  others  had  said  before,  and  have  said  many  times  since, 
without  any  knowledge  of  his  words. 

It  isn't  the  saying  of  the  gospel ;  it  is  the  working  out  of 
it  the  world  needs.  The  poor  man  in  the  alley  with  a  large 
family,  tyrannized  over  by  employer  and  policeman,  wants 
help,  needs  a  savior.  Words  will  not  do  it.  Is  there  a  Mes 
siah  to  go  to  him  and  show  him  how  to  solve  his  problem,  or 
at  least  to  suffer  with  him?  In  order  to  do  this  the  Messiah 
must  subject  himself  to  the  same  conditions  that  beset  the  one 
he  ministers  to.  If  we  are  the  surgeons  that  follow  the  battle, 
if  we  are  the  ministers  of  Jesus,  we  will  not  hear  the  clash  of 
arms  and  roar  of  cannon,  but  only  the  groans  of  the  wounded, 
and  the  cries  of  those  who  need  help. 

We  may  comprehend  that  the  battle  is  for  right,  and  that 
right  will  finally  win ;  we  may  respect  and  sympathize  with 
those  who  are  prominently  engaged  in  this  battle ;  we  may 
take  a  keen  interest  in  the  details  of  the  conflict ;  but  it  is  to 
the  sick  and  wounded  and  the  dying  that  we  are  called.  This 
is  our  business.  To  them  we  must  go.  In  the  banquet  hall, 
where  the  victor  is  feted,  in  the  triumphal  parade  where  the 
conquering  hosts  are  displayed  and  eulogized,  we  have  no 
business.  Our  place  is  with  the  fallen  one,  if  we  follow  Jesus. 

There  is  no  law  in  actual  operation  in  this  world  but  the 


186  DR.     TALK  WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

law  of  love.  It  is  against  this  law  that  all  the  battle  rages, 
but  this  law  will  finally  triumph.  Society  will  find  that  out  at 
last.  Not  from  the  pulpit  nor  the  ministerial  conference  nor 
the  prayer  meeting,  but  from  the  clash  and  crash  of  actual 
business,  in  which  many  will  be  wounded  and  killed,  and  it  is 
to  these  and  these  only  that  the  Christian  minister  is  sent.  Of 
course  it  would  be  more  honorable  from  a  worldly  standpoint 
to  help  direct  the  battle,  but  our  master  has  assigned  us  to  the 
ambulance  corps.  Tt  would  be  more  pleasant  and  agreeable 
to  choose  only  those  who  are  well  for  ministrations,  but  Jesus 
has  left  us  no  choice.  We  must  either  go  to  the  fallen  or  have 
no  part  in  his  mission.  To  pretend  that  we  have  the  privilege 
to  select  for  ourselves  the  class  of  people  to  whom  we  are  to 
minister;  is  to  rob  the  gospel  of  meaning  and  reduce  it  to  a 
code  of  ethics  of  doubtful  practicability. 

When  Jesus  said,  u  If  a  man  smite  thee  on  one  cheek, 
turn  to  him  the  other  also,"  he  was  talking  to  his  ministers, 
not  to  merchants  or  mechanics.  Such  a  procedure  on  the  part 
of  the  business  world  would  do  more  harm  than  good.  But 
for  the  Christian  minister  who  has  voluntarily  set  out  to  suffer 
with  those  who  do  suffer  such  things,  it  is  the  only  rational 
thing  to  do.  There  are  those  whose  circumstances  are  such 
that  they  are  obliged  to  turn  the  other  cheek  to  those  who 
smite  them.  It  is  your  function  to  show  these  people  how  all 
these  things  can  be  suffered  with  dignity  and  self  respect. 
Hundreds  of  men  were  crucified  before  Jesus  was,  and  the 
cross  was  regarded  as  the  greatest  ignominy  that  could  be 
ignored.  It  was  only  when  Jesus  voluntarily  took  up  the 
cross  that  all  the  ignominy  and  shame  connected  with  it  dis- 
appeared, and  in  its  place  the  cross  has  become  the  sacred 
emblem  of  sublime  nobility. 

As  soon  as  you  voluntarily  place  yourself  among  those 
who  suffer,  their  sufferings  will  become  a  badge  of  honor 
instead  of  dishonor.  You  will  put  to  shame  those  who  prac- 
tice injustice.  You  will  demonstrate  that  the  meek  actually  do 


AN    ORDINATION     SERMON.  187 

inherit  the  earth.  If  we,  who  call  ourselves  Christian  minis- 
ters, will  not  do  this,  who  will  ?  Those  engaged  in  actual  bus- 
iness, such  as  merchants,  artisans,  professional  and  working- 
men  of  all  classes,  these  are  the  ones  that  are  working  out  the 
details  of  the  incoming  kingdom  of  God.  Greed,  tyranny,, 
competition,  ambition,  selfishness,  pretense,  must  clash  and 
contend  until  all  the  enemies  of  love  are  dead.  Little  by  little 
will  the  discovery  be  made  that  love  and  business  are  compati- 
ble. Little  by  little  will  the  fact  be  made  known  that  hate 
and  contention  have  no  legitimate  place  in  the  world.  But 
this  must  be  discovered  and  worked  out  in  actual  business. 
Each  victim  of  greed  and  duplicity  that  falls  by  the  way  is  a 
martyr  in  a  cause  as  holy  as  ever  caused  the  death  of  any 
sainted  martyr  of  old. 


WHAT   IS  THE  CHURCH    DOING? 


•"Take  Heed,  Therefore,  That  the  Light  Which  is  in  Thee,  be  Not 

Darkness." 


>T  DR.  TALKWELL'S-  service  last  Sunday  morning 
the  most  of  the  time  was  occupied  in  answering 
written  questions  from  the  people  who  attend  these 
services.  For  want  of  space  only  a  few  of  these 
questions  can  be  given.  To  get  any  adequate  notion  of  the 
interest  that  has  been  aroused  on  all  the  vital  questions  of 
Christianity,  a  person  must  attend  these  services.  No  report 
•can  do  such  a  service  justice.  He  said  in  part: 

Some  of  the  questions  before  me  are  better  answered  in  a 
general  way,  while  others  require  specific  answers.  I  have 
selected  this  morning  a  few  of  the  latter  kind,  to  each  of  which 
I  will  try  to  make  specific  though  brief  answer. 

First :  Are  we  to  infer  that  Dr.  Talk  well  is  opposed  to 
the  church? 

No,  I  am  not  opposed  to  the  churches.  I  am  simply 
ascribing  to  the  churches  a  different  function  in  society  than 
the  one  commonly  ascribed.  They  are  doing,  in  some  cases, 
at  least,  a  good  work,  but  in  so  far  as  they  are  doing  anything 
it  is  a  social  and  educational  work,  and  not  the  work  of 
Christian  ministry. 

Second:  Do  you  consider  the  work  of  the  church  super- 
fluous? 

No,  I  believe  the  majority  of  the  churches  are  still  doing 
a  necessary  work.  But  I  fear  that  a  rapidly  increasing  num- 


WHAT    IS    THE    CHURCH    DOING?  189 

ber  of  them  are  not  only  superfluous,  but  a  serious  drag  on  the 
energies  of  the  people  for  no  real  purpose. 

Third:  Do  you  think  that  the  church  in  the  past  was  of 
more  use  to  society  than  at  present? 

Yes.  This,  however,  is  not  saying  that  the  church  used 
to  be  better,  or  that  it  is  becoming  senile.  But  the  educa- 
tional facilities  of  the  present,  the  abundant  supply  of  cheap 
and  wholesome  literature,  the  many  social  privileges  of  this 
generation  have  robbed  the  church  of  much  of  its  former  field 
of  work.  The  time  was  when  the  church  was  the  center  of 
the  social  and  educational  activities  of  society.  The  preacher 
was  an  oracle,  and  often  the  only  educated  man  in  the  neigh- 
borhood. This  has  all  passed.  Except  in  a  few  progressive 
cases  the  theological  function  of  the  church  is  nearly  a  thing 
of  the  past. 

Fourth :     What,  exactly,  is  the  church  doing  today? 

It  aims  to  teach  the  law  of  God  as  found  in  the  Bible,  and 
in  some  cases  it  is  trying  to  apply  its  teachings  to  the  social 
relations  of  its  members. 

Fifth  :  Do  you  think  the  church  is  losing  its  hold  on  the 
masses  of  the  people? 

In  the  matter  of  teaching  the  law  of  God  there  is  a  fatal 
and  rapidly  progressing  skepticism  among  the  masses  as  to 
the  authority  of  the  church  to  decide  what  the  law  of  God  is. 
Each  man  is  deciding  such  matters  for  himself,  more  today 
than  ever  before  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

As  to  the  function  of  the  church  as  a  social  factor  in 
society,  its  importance  is  growing  at  a  rapid  pace.  He  has 
made  a  great  mistake  who  prophesies  the  decline  of  the 
church.  It  is  growing,  and  undoubtedly  will  continue  to 
grow,  but  not  in  the  direction  that  many  churchmen  would 
like  to  have  it.  As  an  oracle  of  God's  law  or  an  expositor  of 
Bible  texts  the  church  has,  at  least,  seen  its  best  days,  but  as 
a  factor  in  the  development  of  sociological  problems  and 
social  experiments,  the  church  is  just  entering  upon  a  new  era 


190  I)K.     TALI\\YKM,'S     SKETCHES. 

of  growth.  Happy  is  that  church  that  is  able  to  lay  down  the 
old  function,  and  take  up  the  new,  instead  of  trying  to  obstruct 
progress  with  obsolete  customs  and  worthless  theology. 

Sixth :  Do  you  regard  the  function  of  the  church  as  an 
important  one  ? 

Certainly  I  do.  The  fact  that  the  church  has  an  existence 
is  the  evidence  that  it  has  a  right  to  exist.  No  institution  as 
virile  and  active  as  the  church  could  have  come  into  being 
except  it  had  in  some  degree  ministered  to  the  wants  of 
the  people.  Nothing  can  long  continue  after  it  has  ceased 
to  supply  some  human  want.  The  people  will  turn  away 
from  anything  that  does  not  feed  them.  Success  is  today 
the  best  certificate  anything  can  present  to  vindicate  its 
right  to  be.  In  the  evolution  of  society  nothing  comes  into 
the  field  of  activity  that  does  not  in  some  way  meet  a  human 
want. 

I  do  not  wish  to  belittle  or  arraign  the  work  of  the 
modern  church.  But  why  the  church  should  claim  to  be  do- 
ing the  work  that  Jesus  did,  or  the  work  he  called  his  fol- 
lowers to  do,  is  one  of  the  curiosities  of  history.  Why  they 
should  try  to  quote  Jesus  to  explain  or  justify  their  function 
in  society  is  passing  strange.  I  shall  try  some  time  to  explain 
how  this  came  about.  But  whatever  may  be  the  explanation 
of  it,  this  unwarranted  assumption  on  the  part  of  the  churches 
that  they  are  doing  the  work  that  Jesus  called  his  disciples  to 
do,  is  what  I  deny.  This  is  all  the  criticism  I  have  to  make 
on  the  work  of  the  church.  I  have  undertaken  to  say  that 
they  should  either  quit  making  any  claim  that  they  are  doing 
the  work  of  the  Master,  or  else  begin  to  do  the  work  of  the 
Master.  For  myself,  I  have  quit  making  any  such  claim. 

Before  I  understood  what  the  Master  expected  his  disci- 
ples to  do,  I  had  taken  upon  me  domestic  obligations  incom- 
patible with  discipleship.  Therefore,  I  have  withdrawn  all 
pretense  of  the  sort.  But  while  I  have  withdrawn  all  pre- 
tenses to  being  a  Christian  minister  I  am  seriously  trying. 


WHAT    IvS    THE     CHURCH     DOING?  191 

both  in  my  home  life  and  public  life,  to  discover  how  far  a 
person  may  follow  Jesus,  who  either  cannot  or  will  not  re- 
nounce all  domestic  relations. 

Seventh :  Did  Jesus  and  his  disciples,  after  their  minis- 
try had  begun,  maintain  any  domestic  relations  ? 

No,  they  did  not.  No  man  can  follow  Jesus  in  the  work 
of  a  Christian  minister  and  recognize  any  other  obligation, 
whatsoever.  If  anyone  doubts  this  let  him  read  Matthew, 
chapter  XII,  from  the  46th  verse  to  the  end  of  the  chapter : 

u  While  He  yet  talked  to  the  people,  behold  his  mother 
and  his  brethren  stood  without,  desiring  to  speak  with  him. 

Then  one  said  unto  him,  "Behold  thy  mother  and  thy 
brethren  stand  without,  desiring  to  speak  with  thee." 

But  he  answered  and  said  unto  him  that  told  him,  uWho 
is  my  mother  ?  And  who  are  my  brethren  ?  " 

And  he  stretched  forth  his  hand  toward  his  disciples  and 
said,  u  Behold  my  mother  and  my  brethren  ! " 

"  For  whosoever  shall  do  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven,  the  same  is  my  brother,  and  sister,  and  mother." 

In  fact  this  same  thought  appears  many  places  in  the 
gospel. 

Eighth  :  What  would  you  advise  a  pastor  to  do  who 
wishes  to  follow  Jesus  without  giving  up  his  pastorate? 

I  have  serious  doubts  whether  this  could  be  done  at  all, 
but  as  a  step  in  this  direction  he  might  make  his  home  a  place 
where  Christian  hospitality  is  possible;  he  might  locate  his 
home  in  that  part  of  the  city  where  he  is  most  needed,  and  if, 
in.  addition  to  this,  his  church  would  excuse  him  from  sermon- 
making,  social  calls  and  all  other  superfluities  of  pastoral 
duties,  he  would  have  a  great  deal  of  time  to  devote  to  work 
that  at  present  nobody  is  doing,  and  work  that  nobody  will  do, 
except  by  someone  literally  following  the  footsteps  ef  Jesus. 
He  should  be  an  example  of  frugality,  economy  and  hopeful- 
ness to  all  who  know  him. 

Such  a  man  might  still  continue  to  speak  to  a  regular  con- 


192  DR.    TALKWEIX'S     SKETCHES. 

gregation  for  which,  of  course,  if  he  had  a  family,  he  would  be 
obliged  to  accept  a  small  salary.  If  he  had  the  courage  to  tell 
what  he  actually  saw  and  to  point  out  the  only  possible 
remedy,  he  would  soon  find  himself  surrounded  by  the  people 
that  he  cannot  now  reach,  and  deserted  by  the  people  that 
now  support  him.  But  his  work  would  be  vastly  nearer  the 
work  that  Jesus  did. 

What  such  a  course  on  the  part  of  a  pastor  would  lead  tor 
I  cannot  say.  Whether  any  semblance  of  church  organization 
could  be  maintained  where  the  whole  truth,  and  nothing  but 
the  truth,  is  proclaimed  from  the  pulpit  every  Sunday,  I  am 
not  quite  sure.  I  am  inclined  to  the  opinion  that  it  could  be- 
If  the  spirit  of  love  should  actuate  and  control  such  a  work  I 
believe  it  would  succeed.  It  is  barely  possible  that  in  time 
this  might  develop  a  church  which  would  assist  rather  than 
prevent,  the  work  of  a  real  gospel  minister. 


THE  SUNDAY   THEATRE. 


•'All  Things  Are  Lawful   Unto  Me,  But  All   Things  Are  Not   Expe- 
dient ;  AH  Things  Are  Lawful  For  Me,  But  I  Will  Not 
Be  Brought  Under  the  Power  of  Any.*' 


'FTER  the  regular  report   last   Sunday,  Dr.  Talkwell 
said : 

A  number  of  questions  have  reached  my  desk 
concerning  the  Sunday  theatre  controversy  and  the 
subject  of  Sabbath  observance  generally.  These  are  questions 
vitally  related  to  the  welfare  of  our  city,  and  I  feel  sure  that 
no  public  teacher  or  preacher  could  do  better  than  to  devote 
his  time  to  such  questions.  In  the  short  time  which  I  devote 
to  the  question  box  each  morning,  I  cannot  more  than  touch 
this  matter  lightly  in  a  single  aspect. 

Now,  to  begin  with,  there  are  at  least  100,000  people  in 
the  city  of  Columbus  who  do  not  regularly  attend  church. 
The  greater  number  of  these  do  not  attend  church  at  alL 
They  spend  their  Sundays  here  or  there,  as  fancy  or  circum- 
stances dictate.  Now,  if  the  question  was  whether  it  would 
be  better  for  these  people  to  attend  church  or  to  attend  the 
theatre  on  Sundays,  I  think  I  should  reply  that  the  church, 
all  things  considered,  would  be  the  better.  I  certainly  believe 
that  the  people  of  Columbus  should  attend  church  every  Sun- 
day, at  least  once.  I  believe  the  consideration  of  the  subjects 
presented  at  the  churches  would  do  them  all  good. 

But  this  is  not  the  question.  The  question  is,  whether  it 
is  better  for  the  large  multitude  of  people  who  do  not  attend 
church  at  all  to  go  idling  around  the  city,  with  no  definite 


194  DR.     TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

aim  or  purpose,  or  lazily  lie  abed  reading  a  Sunday  newspaper, 
or  spend  their  time  in  the  backroom  of  some  saloon  playing 
cards,  or  perhaps  doing  even  worse,  whether  it  is  better  that 
the  people  be  allowed  to  continue  doing  these  things,  or 
whether  a  good,  wholesome,  interesting  theatrical  performance 
be  provided  for  them  Sunday  afternoons  and  evenings.  Now, 
this  is  the  question,  as  I  understand  it. 

Now,  remember,  I  say  in  the  beginning  that  I  had  rather 
the  people  would  attend  church  on  Sunday  than  to  attend  the 
theatre.  But  I  had  also  rather  that  the  people  would  attend  a 
good,  wholesome  theatre  on  Sunday  than  to  do  other  things 
which  they  will  do  if  they  do  not  attend  the  theatre. 

I  believe  in  Sunday  rest.  I  believe,  as  far  as  possible, 
every  person  should  be  allowed  one  day  in  seven  for  rest  and 
recreation.  It  is  a  pity  that  anyone  should  have  to  toil  week 
after  week,  with  no  day  for  rest  and  recuperation.  Sunday  is 
the  day  fixed  by  law  and  church  tradition,  and  I  think  that 
we  should  guard  this  day  .is  a  day  of  rest  as  carefully  as  possi- 
ble. But,  after  all.  rest  is  simply  another  name  for  change. 
A  change  of  scene  and  thoughts  and  activities  constitute  rest. 
A  large  multitude  of  people  have  no  other  time  for  recreation 
except  Sunday.  They  must  work  from  morning  until  night, 
six  days  in  the  week.  Now,  if  it  is  a  fact,  as  I  believe  it  is, 
that  the  majority  of  these  people  have  no  interest  whatever 
ii\  church  services,  why  not  attempt  to  furnish  them  some 
other  services  in  which  they  will  have  an  interest? 

The  theatre  today  comes  nearer  furnishing  these  people 
what  they  want  than  any  other  institution. in  modern  civiliza- 
tion. If  the  theatre  is  not  quite  up  to  what  it  should  be,  the 
solution  of  the  problem  is  not  to  oppose  Sunday  theatrical 
performances,  but  rather  to  make  them  all  that  they  should 
be.  The  theatre  is  very  attractive  to  the  multitude.  Its 
lessons  are  very  forcibly  taught.  It  is  able  to  bring  out  pathos 
and  sentiment,  ethics  and  exhortation  in  a  much  more  forcible, 
manner  than  the  pulpit  can.  There  is  no  rational  reason  in 


THE     STXDAY    THEATRE.  195 

the  world  why  the  theatre  should  not  be  made  auxiliary  to 
the  pulpit.  There  would  be  no  hostility  between  these  two 
institutions  of  modern  civilization  if  the  subject  was  treated 
with  more  thought  and  less  fanaticism. 

Shall  we  have  Sunday  afternoon  and  evening  theatre  at 
our  parks?  Shall  our  city  theatres  be  opened  on  Sunday  after- 
noon and  evening?  %  I  am  convinced  that  it  would  prevent  ne 
one  from  going  to  church.  Every  one  who  wished  to,  could 
attend  church  just  the  same.  It  would  simply  provide  some- 
thing for  those  who  do  not  go  to  church.  It  is  simply  meeting 
a  multitude  of  people,  who  have  no  shepherd,  half  way.  It 
would  be  infinitely  more  effective  on  the  part  of  the  clergy  to 
undertake  to  influence  the  character  of  the  Sunday  theatre, 
than  to  undertake  to  oppose  it.  Plays  of  an  elevating,  highly 
moral  character  would  find  as  ready  acceptance  as  plays  of  a 
degraded  character. 

It  is  a  curious  fact  that  the  saloonkeepers  and  the  preach- 
ers agree  that  Sunday  attractions,  like  the  public  parks  and 
base  ball,  ought  to  be  closed.  I  say  it  is  curious,  but  of  easy 
explanation.  Both  the  preachers  and  saloonkeepers  are  inter- 
ested in  keeping  the  people  within  the  city.  One  wants  them 
to  attend  church ;  the  other  wants  them  to  attend  the  saloon. 
No  set  of  men  are  more  hostile  to  Sunday  amusements  than 
the  saloonkeepers.  It  not  only  takes  away  their  customers, 
but  drains  away  the  money  that  they  would  otherwise  get. 

I  was  struck  very  forcibly  with  this  idea  the  other  day. 
I  was  in  a  saloon  where  the  proprietor  had  been  raging  and 
frothing  at  the  mouth  in  his  violent  opposition  to  Sunday  base 
ball,  suburban  parks,  etc.  He  said  that  it  killed  the  town 
dead ;  that  Sunday  had  become  the  most  unprofitable  day  of 
the  week,  whereas  it  used  to  be  the  most  profitable  one.  He 
waxed  eloquent  in  his  arguments.  He  fumed  and  roared 
against  those  who  would  destroy  our  Sabbath  day. 

In  less  than  half  an  hour  business  called  me  to  the  study 
of  one  of  our  city  pastors.  The  subject  of  Sunday  theatres 


196  DR.    TALKWEIX'S     SKETCHES. 

happened  to  come  up,  and  I  heard  another  man  grow  eloquent 
on  the  subject  of  Sunday  desecration.  He  urged  like  the 
saloonkeeper,  that  these  things  should  not  be  allowed;  (hat 
they  interfered  with  his  business.  Although,  of  course,  his 
motives  were  entirely  different  from  those  of  the  saloonkeeper, 
yet  the  same  one-sided  view  of  the  case  was  apparent.  When 
the  saloonkeeper  and  the  preacher  agree  on  plans  of  forcible 
Sunday  keeping  there  must  be  something  wrong  somewhere. 
I  know  of  no  reason,  scriptural  or  rational,  secular  or  sacred, 
why  we  should  not  have  elevating  theatrical  performances 
during  the  summer  months  at  the  park ;  why  we  should  not 
have  Sunday  afternoon  concerts  at  the  park ;  why  we  should 
not  have  evening  entertainments  at  the  theatres  within  the 
city.  I  know  of  a  great  many  good  reasons  why  we  should 
have  these  entertainments,  but  I  have  yet  to  hear  of  a  single 
reason  that  appeals  to  my  judgment  why  we  should  not  have 
them. 

If  these  things  interfered  with  the  churches  in  any  way,  if 
these  things  hindered  people  from  attending  churches  who 
would  otherwise  go,  then  I  should  certainly  be  opposed  to 
them.  It  is  simply  idiocy  to  try  to  force  people  to  go  to  church 
by  preventing  them  from  enjoying  any  rational  recreation  or 
amusement.  People  cannot  be  Christianized  in  any  such  way 
as  this.  If  we  do  not  furnish  them  elevating,  healthful  recre- 
ation on  Sunday,  they  will  simply  do  worse,  that's  all. 

I  quite  agree  with  the  principle  of  periodic  rest,  that  man 
needs  such  rest,  and  that  such  a  day  should  be  instituted,  and 
I  quite  agree  with  the  tradition  of  the  church  that  Sunday  is 
as  good  a  day  as  any  other,  but  it  still  remains  true  that  to 
quote  the  fourth  commandment  as  the  reason  why  we  should 
keep  Sunday  any  different  than  any  other  day  is  either  insin- 
cere on  the  part  of  the  one  who  does  so,  or  else  evidence  of 
his  own  ignorance. 

Let  me  quote  the  fourth  commandment:  let  us  see  what 
it  is  :  u  Remember  the  Sabbath  day  to  keep  it  holy.  Six  days 


THE     SUNDAY    THEATRE.  197 

shalt  thou  labor  and  do  all  thy  work,  but  the  seventh  day  (not 
the  first  day)  is  a  Sabbath  day  unto  the  Lord,  thy  God.  In  it 
thou  shalt  not  do  any  work;  thou,  nor  thy  son,  nor  thy 
daughter  (who  keeps  these  things?),  thy  man  servant,  nor  thy 
maid  servant  (I  would  like  to  consult  the  various  servants  in 
this  city  on  this  question),  nor  thy  cattle,  nor  the  stranger  that 
is  within  thy  gates." 

Now  I  wish  to  say  about  this  commandment  that  it  is 
wholly  impracticable  in  the  present  order  of  things ;  that  it  is 
simply  stupendous  folly  to  undertake  to  keep  either  the  letter 
or  the  spirit  of  such  a  commandment. 

Moses  said  still  further,  concerning  the  Sabbath,  "  Who- 
soever cloeth  any  work  therein  (in  the  Sabbath  day),  he  shall 
surely  be  put  to  death."  Also,  "  Ye  shall  kindle  no  fire 
throughout  your  habitations  on  the  Sabbath."  I  insist  upon  it 
that  such  talk  as  this  has  long  since  been  relegated  to  past 
barbarism,  and  the  interests  of  our  modern  Sunday  are  not 
enhanced  by  any  such  quotations.  , 

I  keep  no  such  Sabbath  day,  and  I  am  sure  the  so-called 
Christian  keeps  no  such  Sabbath  day.  I  certainly  work  harder 
on  Sunday  than  on  any  other  day  of  the  week.  I  have  no 
maid  servants,  nor  man  servants,  but  my  liveryman  and  my 
family  work  harder  on  Sunday  than  on  any  other  day.  So 
•does  my  horse  work  harder  on  that  day.  The  services  at  the 
workhouse,  the  mission  Sunday  school  in  the  afternoon,  and 
the  numerous  visits  to  places  of  destitution  and  degradation, 
make  my  Sunday  a  workday,  not  a  rest  day,  except  in  the 
sense  that  it  is  somewhat  of  a  change  from  the  other  days  of 
the  week. 

To  quote  the  fourth  commandment  to  corroborate  the  gen- 
eral principle  that  one-seventh  of  the  week  should  be  devoted 
to  rest  is  perfectly  consistent,  but  to  quote  the  fourth  com- 
mandment in  order  to  give  the  modern  Sunday  a  divine  origin 
implies  either  great  ignorance  of  the  history  of  Sunday,  or  a 
willingness  to  resort  to  anything  to  make  a  point.  The  first 


198  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

day  of  the  week  was  originally  kept  by  Christians,  not  because 
they  supposed  it  was  Sabbath,  but  in  commemoration  of 
Christ's  resurrection. 

Even  while  Paul  was  yet  preaching  the  question  as  to 
whether  Gentiles  were  obliged  to  keep  the  Jewish  Sabbath 
came  up  again  and  again.  The  Christians  were  comparatively 
unanimous  in  wishing  to  hold  services  on  the  first  day  of  the 
week,  in  memory  of  the  resurrection  of  their  Master.  But 
just  what  to  do  with  the  Sabbath  day  was  a  vexed  question, 
and  for  five  or  six  centuries  there  was  more  or  less  attempt  on 
the  part  of  Christians  to  keep  the  Sabbath  day  in  addition  to 
the  first  day  of  the  week.  But.  finally,  it  was  decided  to  set 
aside  the  fourth  commandment,  both  in  letter  and  spirit,  and 
institute  in  its  stead  the  first  day  of  the  week.  Having  thus 
deliberately  set  aside  the  fourth  commandment  as  no  longer 
binding  upon  Christians,  to  turn  about  in  this  day  and  age  of 
the  world  and  quote  that  the  same  commandment  as  a  reason 
why»the  traditions  of  the  church  concerning  Sunday  should  be 
kept,  is  either  ignorance  or  duplicity.  (See  article  on  Sun- 
day, Chambers'  Encyclopedia,  or  the  same.  Encyclopedia 
Brittanica). 


UP-TO-DATE  THEOLOGY. 


"Old  Things  are  Passed  Away,  All  Things  are  Become  New, 


;R.  T ALKWELL  devoted  most  of  the  hour  last  Sunday 
morning  tc-  the  many  questions  that  had  accumu" 
lated  on  his  desk.  He  said  in  part : 

A  great  many  of  the  questions  I  receive  are  theo- 
logical rather  than  practical.  Discussing  theological  notions 
is  no  part  of  my  business.  I  used  to  indulge  in  such  mis- 
chievous pastime,  but  I  have  reformed.  Yet  there  are  a  few 
questions  before  me  which  de'serve  attention,  for  in  spite  of 
the  fact  that  they  have  been  answered  again  and  again,  yet 
most  people  still  cling  to  the  older  notions.  As  these  are 
direct  questions  to  myself,  I  will  read  them  as  I  answer  them. 

What  do  you  believe  about  the  creation  of  the  universe? 

The  creation  has  been  believed  to  be  an  event  that  hap- 
pened about  6,000  years  ago;  that  God  brought  into  being  the 
universe  by  a  command  or  fiat,  piece  by  piece,  out  of  nothing, 
taking  Him  in  all  just  six  days,  after  which  He  rested  a  whole 
day.  Since  the  progress  of  the  study  of  geology  and  allied 
sciences  has  made  such  a  belief  difficult,  it  has  been  discovered 
that  the  Scriptures  will  bear  an  interpretation  less  obnoxious 
than  this,  but  it  is  still  very  difficult,  even  by  the  aid  of  expert 
exegesis,  to  avoid  collisions  between  the  scientist  and  theo- 
logian. 

To  conclude  that  the  days  of  creation  mentioned  in 
Genesis  meant  periods  of  longer,  or  shorter  duration  according 
to  the  latest  geological  chronology,  helps  to  reconcile  the  Bible 


-JOO  DR.    TALKWELIAS    SKETCHES. 

to  science,  but  does  not  explain  the  use  of  such  ambiguous 
language  on  the  part  of  the  inspired  writer.  It  is  worthy  of 
note  that  these  days  were  not  discovered  to  mean  periods  until 
the  demonstrations  of  geology  could  no  longer  be  punished  as 
•crimes  or  sneered  at  as  lunacies. 

The  creation  of  the  modern  thought  is  a  continuous  pro- 
cess, not  an  event.  There  came  a  time  certainly  in  the  grad- 
ual evolution  of  the  universe  when  it  became  possible  for 
animal  life  to  be  maintained  on  the  planet,  but  that  was 
hundreds  of  thousands,  not  6,000  years  ago.  And  that  neither 
vegetable  nor  animal  kingdom,  nor  man  himself,  was  the 
result  of  any  sudden  or  miraculous  display  of  God's  power, 
but  the  gradual  and  never  ceasing  evolution  going  on  in  nature 
at  all  times  and  places ;  that  the  physical  universe  came  from 
pre-existing  matter  rather  than  nothing.  Instead  of  fiats  and 
commands  we  have  processes  and  natural  selections ;  that  God 
not  only  was  creating  the  world,  but  is  creating  it.  Creation, 
according  to  the  latter  thought,  is  going  on  about  us  now  in 
exactly  the  same  sense  it  was  in  the  Carboniferous  age. 

Neither  thought  raises  a  doubt  as  to  the  existence  of  God 
or  His  continued  providences,  but  there  is  a  rational  difference 
in  the  conceptions,  as  to  the  means  made  use  of,  and  the  order 
and  method  of  procedure. 

What  do  you  believe  about  Providence? 

The  older  thought  as  to  providence  is  something  like  this  : 
That  after  God  had  finished  the  creation,  the  physical  universe 
was  able,  by  virtue  of  the  laws  or  forces  with  which  it  was 
endowed,  to  go  about  its  own  mission  without  God's  immediate 
attention.  He  is  represented  as  being  away  somewhere.  Up 
in  heaven,  for  instance,  on  a  throne.  He  makes  only  occa- 
sional visits  to  the  earth,  sometimes  sends  a  prophet  or  an 
angel,  less  frequently  comes  in  person  to  attend  to  some  very 
important  business.  The  ordinary  operations  of  nature  (so 
called)  are  thought  to  be  incapable  to  accomplish  all  that 


UP-TO-DATE    THEOLOGY.  201 

ought  to  be  done,  which  requires  more  or  less  special  or  mirac- 
ulous interference  on  God's  part. 

The  records  of  the  personal  visits  which  God  has  thought 
necessary  to  make  the  earth  from  time  to  time,  are  supposed 
to  be  enumerated  in  the  Jewish  Scriptures,  which  sh'ow  them 
to  be  attended  with  unusual  phenomena. 

The  visits  of  God  to  earth,  at  first  frequent  and  unmistak- 
able, became  less  frequent  and  tangible  as  history  develops 
until  in  these  latter  days  if  any  special  visitations  occur  at  alt 
they  are  attended  -by  so  much  ambiguity  that  they  fail  to  con- 
vince the  majority. 

The  later  thought  as  to  Providence  is  that  God  is  immi- 
nent in  the  physical  universe.  That  is  to  say,  the  Spirit  of 
God,  or  God  the  Spirit,  animates,  or  is  the  life  of  all  physical 
existence,  that  God  cannot  be  conceived  as  separate  from  the 
universe ;  that  in  God  we  all  live  and  move  and  have  our 
being ;  that  He  never  leaves  us  or  specially  visits  the  world, 
but  He  is  always  and  ever  about,  around  and  within  us;  that 
all  the  forces  of  nature  are  but  the  direct  expression  of  His 
will ;  that  He  has  no  special  abiding  place,  but  He  fills  the 
immensities  of  the  whole  universe;  that  if  He  were  to  with- 
draw His  personal  presence  from  the  world,  even  for  one 
instant,  chaos  and  catastrophe  would  be  the  result. 

There  are  no  laws  but  God's  free  will ;  no  forces  at  work 
in  heaven  or  earth  save  God's  special,  personal  agency  (except 
the  action  of  the  free  spirits  like  Himself,  mankind,  which 
He  has  created.)  That  God  moved  in  the  earth  while  it  was 
yet  a  part  of  the  nebula  from  which  it  was  evolved,  has  never 
left,  never  will  leave.  Has  no  special  messengers ;  but  the 
winds  do  His  bidding,  and  the  seas  carry  His  commands. 
That  gravitation,  cohesion,  heat,  electricity,  are  not  blind 
forces,  but  are  the  premeditated  volitions  of  God.  That  each 
rising  sun  is  a  miracle,  each  setting  sun  a  burning  bush.  That 
nowhere  and  at  no  place,  can  anything  occur  more  wonderful 
than  evervdav  existence. 


202  I)K'.     TALKWKLI/S     SKETCHES. 

What  do  you  believe  about  revelation  ? 

The  idea  of  revelation,  now  getting  old,  but  not  yet 
extinct,  regards  revelation  as  special  and  partial.  God,  wish 
ing  to  reveal  His  will  to  man,  is  supposed  to  have  selected 
certain  rtien  through  whom  the  revelation  was  made.  God  is 
represented  as  speaking  to  men,  or  moving  men  to  write 
certain  things,  upon  which  the  eternal  happiness  of  humanity 
depends,  yet  leaving  the  remainder  of  mankind  to  either  find 
out  what  was  revealed  to  the  inspired  ones  or  else  remain  in 
ignorance  of  it.  These  revelations  of  God's  will  were  com- 
mitted to  writing  and  finally  collected  into  a  single  volume 
known  as  the  Bible.  This  book  is  regarded  as  the  will  or 
word  of  God,  infallible  in  every  page  and  letter,  arid  there  is 
no  possible  way  open  to  man  to  know  God's  will  except  from 
this  divine  book. 

The  only  hope  entertained  of  the  salvation  of  those  who 
do  not  know  of  this  book  is,  that  they  who  do  know  of  it  tell 
the  rest  about  it.  If  this  very  important  work  is  neglected  by 
anyone  he  is  liable  to  be  gently  chided  for  his  want  of  zeaK 
but  the  neglected  ones  suffer  eternal  loss  on  account  of  the 
omission.  The  revelation  which  God  thought  necessary  to 
make  to  man  closed  about  two  thousand  years  ago,  and  during 
the  subsequent  centuries  He  has  remained  silent  because  no 
further  revelation  is  required. 

This  revelation  was  made  mostly  through  the  medium  of 
the  ancient  Hebrew  language,  and  a  dialect  of  the  old  Greek. 
These  documents  have  since  been  subject  to  the  inevitable 
exigencies  of  transcription,  translation  and  interpretation, 
but  have  somehow  retained  their  unsullied  infallibility 
through  it  all.  The  knowledge  of  these  Scriptures  has  neces- 
sarily been  known  to  a  comparatively  small  number  of  the 
human  family,  and  yet,  concealed  in  their  pages,  was  the  only 
way  by  which  man  could  be  saved. 

Unlike  the  devout  Jew,  who  saw  the  glory  and  handiwork 
of  God  in  the  heavens  and  firmament,  to  whom  day  unto  day 


UP-TO-DATE    THEOLOGY.  205 

uttered  speech,  and  night  unto  night  showed  knowledge, 
whose  voice  was  silent  in  no  speech  or  language,  this  tradit- 
ional theory  of  inspiration  would  confine  God's  word  to  the 
intricacies  and  obsolete  forms  of  a  dead  language  and  retard  its 
spread  by  the  financial  success  of  missionary  corporations  and 
Bible  societies. 

This  view  of  revelation  is  rapidly  giving  way  to  concep- 
tions which  refuse  to  regard  revelation  as  special  or  partial, 
but  sets  no  limits  or  bounds  to  God's  communion  with  man 
save  the  necessary  limitations  of  man's  comprehension.  That 
in  all  places,  and  at  all  times,  God  has  revealed  just  so  much 
of  His  will  to  each  man  as  he  is  capable  of  receiving,  hold- 
ing him  responsible  and  only  responsible  for  the  measure  of 
light  he  clearly  comprehends.  He  is  that  >l  light  that  lighteth 
every  man  that  cometh  into  the  world."  That  men  of  olden 
times,  the  same  as  modern  times,  received  more  or  less  of  God's 
will  as  their  apprehension  of  truth  was  more  or  less. 

That  all  truth,  physical  or  metaphysical,  secular  or  sacred, 
is  God's  will.  That  the  Bible  is  a  partial  record  of  what  men 
felt  and  thought  to  be  true  in  ancient  times,  and  is  worthy  of 
the  most  careful  study  and  respectful  consideration.  That  the 
Bible  is  the  word  of  God  in  the  same  sense  that  our  convict- 
ions of  truth  and  duty  are  the  word  of  God.  That  the  records 
called  the  Holy  Scriptures  were  written  by  men  and  are  probably 
a  fair  representation  of  the  doings  and  opinions  of  the  ancient 
Jews,  although  they  have  not  escaped  the  changes  incident  to 
human  fallibility,  carelessness  and  desire  to  improve.  That 
just  so  much  of  the  Bible  should  be  held  to  be  true  as  has 
stood  the  test  of  experience.  That  the  intrinsic  worth  and 
beauty  of  the  Bible  can  only  be  discovered  by  treating  it  pre- 
cisely as  any  other  book,  by  reading  it  critically  without  pre- 
judice for  or  against  its  origin.  This,  briefiy  stated,  is  the 
later  view  of  revelation. 


THE  YOUNG   PEOPLES'  MEETING. 


41  And   Why    Call    Ye    Me    Lord,    Lord,    and    Do    Not    the    Things 

which  1  Say?" 


OT  every  one  that  saith  unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall 
enter  into  the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that 
doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is  in  heaven. 
Many  will  say  to  me  in  that  day,  Lord,  Lord,  have 
we  not  prophesied  in  thy  name  ?  And  in  thy  name  have  cast 
•out  devils?  And  in  thy  name  done  many  wonderful  works? 
And  then  will  I  profess  unto  them,  I  never  knew  you ;  depart 
from  me,  ye  that  work  iniquity.  Therefore,  whosoever  hear- 
eth  these  sayings  of  mine  and  doeth  them,  I  will  liken  him 
unto  a  wise  man,  which  built  his  house  upon  a  rock.'1 

As  Dr.  Talkwell  arose  last  Sunday  morning  to  begin  his 
report  he  said : 

I  have  begun  to  visit  the  churches  of  the  city  of  Colum- 
bus, including  the  missions,  Sunday  schools  and  the  young 
People's  societies.  It  may  sound  strange  to  you,  but  in  all 
the  twelve  years  of  my  pastorate  in  this  city  I  had  learned 
next  to  nothing  about  these  things. 

I  knew  what  my  own  church  was  doing,  but  I  knew 
nothing  about  the  other  theological  enterprises  of  the  city 
except  by  hearsay.  I  have  been  visiting  these  places  with 
the  same  interest  and  surprise  as  if  I  had  been  a  total  stranger 
to  their  practical  workings  I  wish  .to  speak  a  few  minutes 
this  morning  about  the  Young  People's  (so-called)  Christian 
societies.  In  order  to  let  you  know  exactly  what  occurs  at 


THE    YOUNG    PEOPLES'    MEETING.  205 

one  of  these  meetings,  I  employed  a  stenographer  to  attend  a 
meeting  selected  by  himself  to  take  down  every  word  that  wa& 
said. 

My  instructions  were  carried  out  faithfully  with  such  ex- 
ceptions as  will  appear  in  the  report.  In  reading  this  report 
one  hardly  knows  whether  to  laugh  or  cry.  The  evident  de- 
sire which  these  people  express  to  follow  their  master,  Jesus, 
together  with  the  absolute  futility  of  their  misguided  efforts, 
make  a  saddening  picture,  very  distressing  to  me. 

Only  faith  in  God's  overruling  providences ;  only  a  vigor- 
ous belief  that  God  will  finally  bring  order  out  of  chaos,  save 
me  from  complete  pessimism  when  I  witness  such  pathetic 
waste  of  time  that  has  before  it  no  definite  purpose  or  rational 
object.  I  will  read  to  you  the  report  exactly  as  furnished  to 
me  by  the  stenographer. 

Meeting  at  7  : 00  P.  M.,  sun  time.  At  this  time  no  one  was 
present  except  two  girls  and  one  man  standing  outside  of 
door.  Meeting  commenced  at  7 : 15.  Ssixteen  ladies  and  three 
men  were  present  when  meeting  commenced.  Others  came 
later.  Young  man  led  meeting.  Leader  —  Sing  No.  14, 
"  Showers  of  Blessing."  Leader — Sing  173,  "  Must  Jesus  bear 
the  Cross  ? " 

Leader — Let  us  have  three  voluntary  prayers.  Young 
man  prayed.  (Could  not  hear  what  was  said.)  Lady  prayed, 
(Could  not  hear  what  was  said.)  Leader  prayed  :  "  Heavenly 
Father,  we  feel  tonight  that  we  need  more  of  thy  love.  Be 
with  us  during  our  worship.  Bless  every  one  that  has  come 
here.  We  know  each  one  has  come  to  receive  the  blessing  he 
is  in  need  of.  Grant  that  they  may  not  go  away  without  it. 
Lord,  it  is  not  only  a  duty,  but  it  is  a  privilege  to  testify  and 
pray  and  uphold  thy  name  and  cause. 

Leader — Have  you  any  selection?  Girl — No.  46,  u  The 
Mind  of  Jesus."  Leader — Our  lesson  is  found  in  Luke  X 
(read  portion  about  good  Samaritan.)  Our  subject  is,  "  A 
Friend  in  Need."  This  man  fell  among  thieves  and  was  in  a 


U06  DR.     TALKWKLI/S     SKETCHES. 

place  where  he  needed  help.  And  so  people  get  into  places 
where  they  need  help,  but  are  we  so  willing  to  help  them  ? 
Sometimes  it  is  a  cross  and  a  burden  to  do  anything  for  them. 
But  if  we  engage  in  doing  these  things  Christ  is  willing  to 
help  us.  The  three  passed  by  on  the  other  side,  but  when  the 
good  Samaritan  came  he  had  compassion  on  the  man  and  sent 
him  where  he  would  be  taken  care  of,  and  we  can  do  likewise 
if  we  have  Jesus  with  us.  The  meeting  is  now  in  your  hands, 
and  I  hope  you  will  have  something  to  say  on  this  subject,  or 
on  any  subject  that  you  wish  to  speak  upon. 

Girl — Sing  second  verse  of  67,  a  Anywhere  with  Jesus." 
Lady — We  are  taught  by  Christ  that  we  are  to  have  charity 
and  love  for  our  fellow  beings,  for  those  who  are  discouraged 
and  in  need.  It  seems  that  prosperity  deserts  some  people ; 
they  continually  meet  with  reverses;  and  they  become  dis- 
heartened and  discouraged.  If  we  can  go  to  them  in  the  right 
spirit  we  can  do  a  great  deal  for  them,  even  with  a  smile  or  a 
kind  word,  more  than  we  have  any  idea  of.  We  may  minister 
to  their  physical  and  their  spiritual  needs  as  well.  But  first 
we  must  have  the  spirit  of  the  Holy  Ghost  in  our  hearts. 
Girl — Please  sing  213,  u  Scatter  Seeds  of  Kindness.-' 

Leader — I  am  sure  that  everyone  can  say  something  for 
Jesus. 

Lady — In  thinking  of  this  subject  today,  "  A  Friend  in 
Need,"  and  reading  over  the  text,  I  wondered  if  I  would  have 
reached  out  a  helping  hand  if  I  was  passing.  We  condemn 
those  who  passed  by,  but  are  we  doing  any  better?  was  the 
thought  that  came  to  me  today. 

Lady — There  are  many  ways  of  showing  mercy  —  in  kind 
acts.  Sometimes  we  go  where  we  would  expect  kind  words, 
or  some  kind  treatment,  but  we  get  nothing  of  the  kind,  but 
something  that  it  takes  us  a  long  time  to  forget,  and  I  have 
often  prayed,  in  these  trying  circumstances,  for  the  God  of  all 
to  have  mercy  upon  them ;  that  he  will  open  the  eyes  of  all 
those  who  do  these  things  to  what  they  are  doing,  and  I  pray 


THE     YOfXG     PEOPLES'    MEETING.  yfl 

God  that  if  I  ever  do  such  a  thing  that  he  will  have  mercy 
upon  me  and  show  me  my  error  and  give  me  the  right  under- 
standing. 

Young  man — Song  84,  u  Only  a  Beam  of  Sunshine." 

Young  man — This  topic  we  have  tonight  is  certainly  a 
great  one.  Maybe  there  is  some  person,  or  some  young  lady, 
who  is  going  from  the  church  to  some  place  that  she  should 
not  go  to,  and  maybe  she  falls  into  temptation.  Some  of  the 
people  pass  her  by,  and  others  stop  and  talk  to  her.  Each 
one  of  us  can  become  a  good  Samaritan.  Let  us  try  to  help 
each  one  to  live  a  Christian  life,  for  we  know  that  the  Christian 
life  is  the  right  life  for  each  one  of  us. 

Girl — Sing  the  third  verse  of  No.  — .  (Commenced  with 
u  Only  a  Word  for  Jesus.") 

Man  and  girl  started  to  speak. 

Girl — About  three  sentences,  but  did  not  hear. 

Man — We  all  appreciate  the  good  Samaritan  act  if  it  is 
done  for  us.  We  appreciate  anyone  who  is  neighborly  to  us, 
but  the  reason  that  we  fall  short — and  I  think  that  we  should 
pray  a  great  deal  more  about  this  matter.  We  ought  to  pray 
to  be  neighborly.  There  are  some  people  who  we  cannot 
tolerate,  and  this  is  human  nature,  but  it  is  not  the  good 
Samaritan  spirit,  This  is  my  failing,  and  I  always  recognize 
that  failing,  but  we  need  more  of  the  grace  of  God  to  help  us. 

Man— Sing  verse  of  264  u  What  a  Friend  We  Have  in 
Jesus." 

Lady — I  find  that  this  thought  sometimes  comes  to  us, 
that  these  people  bring  a  great  many  things  on  themselves,  as 
this  man  did  in  going  down  to  Jericho.  The;  way  that  he  took 
was  a  bad  way ;  it  was  full  of  wickedness,  but  the  good  Samar- 
itan did  not  ask  why  he  went  that  road,  he  just  stopped  and 
helped  him. 

Every  day  of  my  life  I  feel  that  I  want  to  help  some  one ; 
I  want  to  do  some  good  to  somebody.  Even  if  it  is  only  the 
tramp  that  comes  to  the  back  door,  it  seems  to  me  that  if  we 


208  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

looked  at  him  with  a  cheerful  countenance,  instead  of  slam- 
ming the  door,  that  it  would  help  him.  It  is  often  a  bother  to 
go  from  the  back  of  the  house  to  the  front  door  when  an  agent 
comes,  but  if  we  speak  to  him  pleasantly  it  may  be  an  en- 
couragement and  a  help  to  him.  And  the  many  little  places 
where  we  can,  even  by  just  a  look,  encourage  some  one.  I 
want  to  help  someone  every  day ;  I  crave  to  be  of  help  to 
those  that  are  depressed  and  are  in  need.  We  cannot  know 
in  this  world,  but  some  one  will  be  surprised  in  eternity  to 
;know  the  result  of  just  these  little  acts  of  kindness. 

Leader — One  verse  of  54,  "  The  Song  of  the  Soul." 

Middle-aged  woman — I  know  that  the  greatest  desire  of 
my  life  is  to  be  more  like  Christ ;  that  I  may  be  able  at  all 
times  to  speak  words  of  kindnes  and  do  something  that  will  be 
of  help  to  some  one.  Ever  since  I  was  twelve  years  old  I  have 
been  trying  to  love  Jesus,  and  I  will  say  that  I  am  not  weary 
in  so  doing.  And,  Oh,  it  gladdens  my  heart  to  see  young 
people  in  the  service  of  Christ.  Pray  for  me  that  I  may  be 
more  faithful. 

Man — Sing  a  verse  of  No.  60,  "  Meet  Me  There." 

Girl — Reading  this  lesson  brought  to  my  mind  the  motto,. 
"  Look  Up  and  Lift  Up."  I  like  the  point  brought  out  that  if 
young  people  go  astray  that  we  do  not  pass  by  on  the  other 
side,  and  do  not  say  a  word  to  them.  I  hope  I  may  help  them. 
We  often  think  if  we  had  money,  but  if  we  give  what  we  have 
we  can  do  a  great,  deal. 

Girl— Sing  263,  kC  I'll  Live  for  Him."  Leader  said,  "  Sing 
the  third  verse." 

Old  man — The  thought  that  most  interests  me  is  this,  to- 
do  what  we  have  opportunity.  We  cannot  all  go  to  the 
islands  of  the  sea,  but  there  is  work  to  do  by  the  waters  where 
we  are,  and  we  know  that  he  will  surely  bless  what  we  do  in 
his  name. 

Leader — One  verse  of  262,  "  Fade,  Fade,  Each  Earthly 
Joy." 


THE    YOUNG    PEOPLES'    MEETING.  209 

Leader — We  have  time  for  a  number  of  testimonials. 
About  six  minutes  of  eight.  Pause  of  about  two  minutes,  the 
only  interval  to  speak  of  in  the  meeting. 

Lady — Sing  verse  of  162. 

Leader — We  shall  stand  and  sing. 

At  the  close  of  the  song  repeated  benediction  in  concert : 
"  The  Lord  watch  between  thee  and  me,  while  we  are  absent 
one  from  another.''  Dismissed  at  8  o'clock.  Five  men  and 
twenty  one  women  were,  present. 

My  experience  in  this  sort  of  meetings  teaches  me  that 
this  particular  meeting  was  much  above  the  average,  and  yet 
how  futile,  how  far-fetched  from  everything  that  Jesus  re- 
garded as  essential,  the  whole  affair  seems.  These  young 
people  are  taught  that  to  get  together  and  say  over  and  over 
again  these  trite  homilies  is  Christian  work.  They  are  led  to 
believe  that  when  they  have  done  this  they  have  done  their 
Christian  duty.  Instead  of  doing  as  Jesus  wished  them  to  do, 
visit  the  sick,  visit  those  in  prison,  to  give  a  cup  of  cold  water 
to  the  thirsty  and  bread  to  the  hungry,  instead  of  doing  these 
things  in  the  name  of  the  Master,  they  get  together  and  spend 
an  hour  in  this  semi-solemn  and  semi-ridiculous  manner. 

Oh,  how  these  well  meaning  people  need  a  leader !  Some 
one  to  show  them  the  way.  Some  one  to  go  ahead  and  do 
what  Jesus  did,  and  show  them  how  to  follow.  Some  one  to 
show  them  how  to  make  their  homes  places  where  Christian 
hospitality  is  possible ;  some  one  to  show  them  how  to  take 
the  first  feeble  steps  in  the  direction  of  a  lost  sheep  of  Israel. 
Some  one  to  show  them  how  to  break  down  the  barriers  that 
separate  them  from  the  prodigal  sons  and  daughters. 

As  a  means  to  an  end,  these  meetings  might  be  made  very 
useful,  but  as  an  end  they  are  worse  than  nothing,  since  they 
lead  those  who  attend  them  to  believe  they  have  done  some- 
thing for  Jesus,  when  in  reality  they  have  done  nothing  but 
talk,  talk,  talk. 


MISSIONARY    HERETICS. 


Or.  Talk  well  and  the  City  Missionary— A  Visit  to  the  Mission  Tent. 


EFORE  beginning  his  regular  report  last  Sunday 
morning,  Dr.  Talkwell  said:  While  I  was  still  pas- 
tor of  a  prosperous  church,  associated  only  with 
prosperous  and  well  behaved  people,  I  was  all  the 
while  conscious  that  I  was  not  living  the  life  of  a  Christian 
minister.  The  poor  and  the  outcast  were  not  touched  by  my 
ministration.  I  felt  sure  that  this  was  not  the  life  that  Jesus 
lived.  But  I  used  to  pacify  myself  with  the  belief  that  the 
so-called  lower  classes  were  being  ministered  to  properly  by 
that  class  of  people  known  as  missionaries,  and  that  kind  of 
public  ministration  known  as  missions.  I  supposed  these 
people  were  having  the  gospel  preached  to  them,  and  lulled 
any  conscience  by  assuring  myself  that  no  one  was  neglected. 
To  be  sure,  I  had  never  attended  these  missions,  and 
knew  little  or  nothing  of  the  character  of  the  gospel  preached. 
I  personally  contributed  to  such  enterprises,  and  my  church 
was  liberal  in  its  donations,  .but  as  a  matter  of  fact  I  knew  by 
inference  only  what  kind  of  gospel  was  being  propagated  at 
these  places. 

Since  throwing  olf  the  ridiculous  burdens  of  a  regular 
pastorate,  and  beginning  to  mingle  with  the  people,  I  have 
found  out  a  great  many  things  that  I  did  not  know  before. 
Among  many  other  things  I  have  made  myself  acquainted 
with  missions  and  missionaries.  I  have  had  frequent  conver- 
sations with  the  missionary  and  listened  to  his  sermons,  and 


MISSIONARY    HERETICS.  '.ill 

have  made  myself  somewhat  familiar  with  the  peculiar  doc- 
trines which  he  tries  to  disseminate. 

I  feel  sure  that  the  average  minister  does  not  know  exactly 
what  is  being  taught  at  these  places,  or  he  would  not  be  able 
to  make  himself  so  perfectly  content  in  his  polite  and  agree- 
able vocation.  The  most  pernicious  and  demoralizing  notions 
concerning  God,  sin  and  righteousness  are  being  promulgated 
among  the  masses  in  this  way.  In  order  to  be  specific  in 
what  I  have  to  say  I  will  report,  as  nearly  as  I  can  recollect, 
the  substance  of  a  sermon  I  heard  in  a  mission  tent  the  other 
evening. 

The  audience  was  composed,  apparently,  of  people  who 
do  not  often  attend  church.  The  preacher  said  that  "  it  was 
the  fashion,  nowadays,  for  the  pulpit  to  dwell  upon  the  love  of 
God,  and  not  upon  His  wrath."  He  thought  that  the  love 
had  been  held  up  too  much,  and  that  the  pulpit  had  become 
afraid  to  teach  the  old-fashioned  doctrine  of  hell  fire.  "  But," 
said  he,  "  if  the  Bible  does  not  teach  that  there  is  a  literal  lake 
of  fire  and  brimstone,  a  seething,  burning  fire,  where  the 
wicked  are  tortured  forever  and  ever,  if  the  Bible  does  not 
teach  this,  then  it  does  not  teach  anything  else.  Just  as  sure 
as  the  Bible  teaches  that  there  is  a  heaven  where  the  saints 
are  at  rest,  it  teaches  that  there  is  a  hell  of  burning  fire  where 
the  wicked  are  tormented  forever  and  ever." 

He  went  on  to  say.  further,  that  by  wicked  he  did  not 
mean  simply  men  who  got  drunk,  or  steal,  or  lie,  or  break  any 
of  the  moral  laws,  he  meant  all  the  people  who  had  not  been 
saved  (converted).  He  was  very  careful  to  explain  to  his 
audience  that  a  man  might  live  a  very  immoral  life,  and  yet 
be  saved,  or,  on  the  other  hand,  a  man  might  live  a  very 
moral  life,  and  not  be  saved.  "Therefore,"  he  said,  "whether  a 
man  is  moral  or  immoral,  has  nothing  whatever  to  do  with  the 
question.  The  question  is  whether  the  man  has  been  saved." 

Then  the  preacher  went  on  to  describe  what  he  meant  by 
being  saved.  I  listened  carefully  to  his  exposition  of  this 


212  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

subject,  and  while  he  was  not  at  all  clear  in  his  definitions,  I 
gathered  the  impression  that  salvation  was  a  sort  of  hysterical 
or  miraculous  experience,  which  could  be  obtained  in  the  fol- 
lowing way : 

First,  the  candidate  was  to  come  forward  to  be  prayed  for. 
He  was  then  to  make  various  other  public  display  of  his  wish 
to  become  converted.  If  he  did  not  succeed  at  the  first  meet- 
ing he  was  to  come  to  another,  and  keep  coming  until  he  was 
converted.  This  conversion  was  liable  to  come  upon  him  sud- 
denly, at  any  time,  anywhere,  but  it  was  only  to  be  had  by 
his  making  some  public  demonstration  of  his  feelings. 

The  speaker  emphasized  again  and  again  the  fact  that  it 
was  just  as  easy  for  the  most  hardened  wretch  and  vilest  sin- 
ner to  become  converted  as  it  was  for  the  man  who  had  led  an 
upright  and  moral  life;  that  God  could  convert  one  just  a& 
quickly  and  easily  as  he  could  the  other;  that  one  was  just  as 
much  in  danger  of  going  to  hell,  and  being  burnt  forever,  as 
the  other;  that  in  the  sight  of  God  there  was  no  difference 
whatever  between  unconverted  men ;  whether  they  were  men- 
of  strict  morality  or  of  the  lowest  degradation,  in  the  sight  of 
God  they  were  exactly  alike;  that  it  was  just  as  easy  to  escape 
from  a  life  of  debauchery  and  debasing  habits,  as  from  a  life 
of  good  behavior  and  right  living. 

I  confess  that  I  was  astonished  beyond  measure  to  hear 
such  doctrines  as  these  preached  in  our  city.  I  really  did  not 
know  that  any  one  was  preaching  such  stuff;  I  supposed  that 
such  horrible  notions  had  passed  away  a  half  century  ago.  I 
am  sure  our  city  preachers  do  not  know  that  this  is  the  kind, 
of  stuff  that  the  average  missionary  is  teaching. 

Such  sentiments  as  these  are  certainly  opposed  to  the 
work  of  the  church.  No  church  can  wish  to  have  the  people 
believe  such  things.  To  hold  up  God  as  a  monster  of  injustice 
who  will,  as  soon  as  this  short  and  uncertain  life  is  over,  con- 
demn people  to  everlasting  punishment,  simply  because  they 
have  not  passed  through  that  peculiar  phase  of  hysteria 


MISSIONARY    HERETICS.  213 

known  as  conversion,  is  monstrous.  To  hold  up  before  the 
public  such  an  idea  of  God  as  this  is  the  most  deliberate  and; 
horrible  blasphemy  that  could  be  possibly  imagined. 

Why  are  the  churches  willing  to  support  such  places? 
Why  are  the  preachers  willing  to  indorse  such  enterprises  ? 
I  can  conceive  no  other  reason  than  that  they  are  anxious  to 
shirk  the  responsibility  of  this  kind  of  work  on  anyone  who 
will  volunteer  to  do  it.  To  give  money  to  such  an  enterprise 
and  then  stay  away  from  it,  and  remain  in  entire  ignorance  of 
what  is  being  preached,  is  what  I  used  to  do,  and  I  fear  many 
are  doing  so  yet.  ; 

Such  doctrines  are  not  being  preached  in  the  churches  any 
more,  with  rare  exceptions.  The  preacher  who  has  been  to 
college  knows  better  than  to  talk  such  stuff.  And  yet  we  are 
willing  to  turn  loose  among  that  class  of  people  who  need  the 
gospel  most  a  set  of  uneducated,  irresponsible,  loud-mouthed, 
longwinded,  professional  mountebacks,  known  as  revivalists 
and  missionaries,  to  blaspheme  God,  to  undermine  morality, 
and  to  mislead  the  people  as  to  the  gravity  of  sin  and  degra- 
dation. This  metaphysical  figment  called  "  conversion "  is 
being  held  up  in  the  place  of  right  living  and  moral  integrity. 
Sin  is  cheapened  by  teaching  people  that  it  may  be  put  aside, 
in  a  moment. 

I  feel  sure  that  if  the  preachers  could  spend  more  time  in 
finding  out  what  is  going  on  at  these  places,  they  would  no 
longer  content  themselves  by  collecting  hard-earned  dollars 
for  this  kind  of  work. 

The  fact  of  the  matter  is  that  the  very  best  kind  of 
preaching  is  necessary  for  this  kind  of  work.  If  any  public 
speaker  should  be  an  educated  man,  it  is  the  one  who  attempts 
to  do  mission  work.  It  is  much  easier  for  a  sentimental 
goody-goody  to  successfully  fill  a  fashionable  pulpit  than  to 
speak  to  the  audience  that  usually  gathers  at  such  places. 

When  will  the  churches  come  to  realize  that  they  have 
not  discharged  their  responsibility  in  this  matter?  They  train 


214  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

missionaries  carefully  to  send  to  China  or  India,  but  the  mis- 
sionaries they  send  to  the  alleys  and  by-places  of  their  own 
city  are  not  only,  as  a  rule,  ignorant  men,  but  men  who  are  on 
the  borderland  of  emotional  insanity. 

Here  we  confront  the  same  old  difficulty  to  which  I  have 
been  trying  to  call  attention,  namely,  that  those  who  profess 
to  be  followers  and  ministers  of  Jesus  are  not  doing  the 
Master's  work.  They  keep  themselves  apart  from  the  very 
ones  to  whom  they  were  sent.  They  know  nothing  of  the  lost 
sheep.  They  are  willing  to  permit  any  irresponsible  person  to 
undertake  the  work  which  they  were  sent  to  do. 

If  the  college-bred  clergyman  was  spending  his  time 
among  the  classes  that  the  city  missionary  is  allowed  to 
exploit,  a  great  change  would  occur.  The  problems  of 
sociology  would  then  be  studied  at  their  very  fountain  heads. 
We  have  here  in  our  city  all  the  data  needed  for  any  practical 
study  of  society.  All  that  is  lacking  is  strong,  intelligent 
ministers  of  the  gospel  to  do  as  Jesus  did ;  to  go  to  the  lost 
ones  and  stay  with  them,  become  their  companions,  guides 
and  defenders.  Defend  them  from  the  wolves  of  the  law  and 
the  wolves  in  sheep's  clothing  that  pretend  to  bring  the 
gospel.  Jesus  is  being  crucified  over  and  over  again  on  our 
street  corners  and  in  our  mission  halls,  and  we  who  call  our- 
selves Christian  ministers  do  not  know  or  do  not  care.  If  God 
will  forgive  me  for  my  negligence  in  the  past,  I  will  try  to  do 
better  in  the  future. 


FAITH    IN   WORKS. 


Dr.  Talkwell  Answers  the  Question,  "  What  is  Christian   Work?  " 


>S  DR  TALKWELL  was  about  to  close  his  service 
last  Sunday  morning  a  man  arose  and  asked  the 
privilege  to  propound  a  question.  The  doctor  con- 
sented and  the  following  question  was  asked : 
"  What  do  you  mean  by  Christian  work?"  The  doctor 
answered  as  follows  : 

Nearly  every  day  I  am  consulted  by  some  one  with  refer- 
ence to  practical  Christian  work.  A  great  many  people  want 
to  know  what  can  be  done,  in  a  practical  way,  towards  doing: 
the  work  which  the  Master  expected  his  followers  to  do. 

In  attempting  to  give  advice  in  this  direction  the  peculiar 
surroundings  of  each  person  have  to  be  considered.  What  one 
man  or  woman  can  do  easily  would  be  very  difficult  for 
another  one  to  attempt.  I  am  not,  at  this  time,  speaking  of 
Christian  ministers.  As  I  have  so  frequently  stated  before,  a 
Christian  minister  is  one  who  turns  his  back  on  all  remuner- 
ative vocations  and  loses  himself  among  the  poor  and  outcast,, 
for  Christ's  sake ;  becomes  poorer  than  the  poorest  of  them,, 
and  finds  himself  without  reputation,  without  home,  and  with- 
out any  organized  support;  in  short, finds  himself  where  Jesus- 
predicted  he  would  find  himself,  where  Jesus  found  himself. 

But  all  people  can,  in  a  partial  way,  do  this  sort  of  work. 
The  merchant,  the  law  maker,  the  artist,  the  artisan,  the 
preacher,  the  teacher,  the  day  laborer,  each  and  all  can,  in- 
spite  of  their  worldly  vocations,  do  a  great  deal  of  the  Master's- 
work,  if  they  would. 


216  DR.    TALK  WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

Since  I  have  made  a  move  in  this  direction  myself,  I  have 
been  frequently  consulted  by  those  wishing  to  do  something 
in  this  line.  No  man  can,  in  a  public  way,  give  this  sort  of 
advice.  Each  man's  case  must  be  considered  separately  and 
judged  according  to  its  special  conditions.  But  I  wish  to  give 
you,  briefly,  this  morning,  the  work  of  one  man.  in  an  adjoin- 
ing city,  who,  in  addition  to  his  vocation  by  which  he  supports 
himself,  does  a  great  deal  of  the  Master's  work.  This  man  is 
only  one  of  many  that  I  know  doing  similar  work,  but  he 
serves  to  illustrate  what  may  be  done. 

The  work  that  he  does  in  this  direction  has  no  salary  at- 
tached whatever,  and  is  a  means  of  constant  expense  rather 
than  income.  The  work  must  be  done  between  the  hours  de- 
voted to  his  regular  employment. 

He  is  a  member  of  the  county  visiting  committee  where 
he  belongs,  appointed  by  the  judges  of  his  county,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  visiting  all  of  the  public  institutions  supported  by  the 
county,  in  whole  or  in  part.  The  visits  in  these  institutions 
are  made  in  behalf  of  the  inmates,  to  see  that  they  are  prop- 
erly housed,  properly  treated  and  properly  cared  for.  The 
institutions  to  which  these  visits  are  made  include  the  work- 
house, the  city  prison,  the  county  jail,  the  orphans'  home,  the 
infirmary,  and  many  other  similar  institutions  of  the  county 
where  he  lives. 

This  committee  is  expected  to  make  an  annual  report  to 
the  judges  of  the  county,  in  which  the  condition  of  these  insti- 
tutions is  set  forth.  Thus,  in  a  very  practical  way,  he  is  able 
to  bring  a  strong  influence  to  bear  in  behalf  of  the  criminal, 
the  pauper,  the  sick  and  the  demented.  He  visits  these  insti- 
tutions clothed  with  sufficient  authority  to  command  attention 
and  respectful  consideration.  It  will  be,  of  course,  impossible 
to  measure  the  amount  of  good  that  a  wise  and  willing  man 
could  effect  in  this  way.  but  it  must  be  very  great.  These 
visits  are  made  at  odd  intervals,  which  are  used  by  the  average 
man  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure,  and  yet  it  is  doubtful  whether 


FAITH    IN    WORKS.  217 

anyone  could  find  greater  satisfaction  and  recreation  than  the 
subject  of  our  sketch  finds  in  this  very  business. 

The  acquaintances  made  in  these  institutions  open  to  him 
the  doors  of  other  institutions  and  enterprises,  to  which  he 
could  not,  otherwise,  find  a  welcome.  This  man  is  also  a 
member  and  director  of  the  Humane  Society  of  the  city  where 
he  lives,  which  gives  him  easy  and  ample  opportunity  to 
wield  a  powerful  influence  in  the  protection  of  defenseless 
human  and  brute  creatures. 

I  am  not  saying  that  he  is  able  to  use  all  of  these  oppor- 
tunities to  their  fullest  extent,  or  that  any  one  man  could  be 
able  to  do  so,  but  by  seeking  these  relations  to  society  he  has 
put  himself  in  a  way  to  make  the  most  of  the  spare  time  at 
his  disposal,  and  so  related  himself  to  the  forces  of  organized 
society  as  to  be  able  to  accomplish  more  good  in  an  hour  than 
an  isolated  man  could  accomplish  in  a  week. 

Again,  this  man  is  a  director  of  the  workhouse  of  his  city, 
where  the  most  of  the  city  offenders  are  confined ;  has  charge 
of  the  Sunday  services,  has  a  keen  interest  in  the  welfare  of 
the  prisoners,  becomes  personally  acquainted  with  large  num- 
bers of  them,  with  whom  he  remains  friends  after  their  dis- 
charge, is  alive  to  the  benefits  of  the  system  of  paroles  by 
which  prisoners  are  allowed  their  freedom  under  certain  moral 
restrictions,  and  through  this  institution  he  can,  in  countless 
ways,  set  in  motion  forces  that  work  toward  righteousness, 
which  ramify  into  every  nook  and  cranny  of  the  city  where  he 
resides. 

The  prestige  and  authority  which  these  official  relations 
give  him  enable  him  many  times  to  accomplish  in  a  single 
moment  what  would  cost  another  man  many  days  of  patient 
endeavor.  All  this  is  done  without  any  remuneration,  save 
the  satisfaction  of  doing  it.  All  this  is  done  at  times  ordinarily 
spent  in  the  pursuit  of  pleasure.  Instead  of  base-ball,  the 
horse  race,  theatre,  bowling  alley,  excursion  rides,  summer 
vacations,  instead  of  these  things,  he  prefers  to  spend  the  in- 


218  I)K'.     TAU\\YEU/S     SKETCHES. 

tervals  between  business  hours  in  this  way.  Whether  he  gets 
more  or  less  pleasure  out  of  life  by  this  course  we  cannot 
know  until  we  have  tried  it  for  ourselves,  but  if  I  were  to 
judge  from  his  appearance  and  conversation,  I  should  say  that 
the  life  of  the  average  sporting  man  falls  far,  far,  below  in 
point  of  pleasure  that  which  this  man  enjoys. 

In  addition  to  these  things,  the  subject  of  our  sketch  has 
a  little  fund  of  money  which  he  loans,  without  interest,  to 
worthy  people  personally  known  to  him,  who  are  in  sore  dis- 
tress. It  happens,  many  times,  that  a  poor  widow  has  been 
obliged  to  borrow  a  small  sum  of  money,  for  which  she  is  pay- 
ing an  exorbitant  rate  of  interest  to  some  money  lender,  who 
holds  a  chattel  mortgage  on  all  she  possesses.  After  he  has 
bled  her  to  the  extent  of  her  ability  he  forecloses  his  mortgage, 
selling  everything  she  has,  practically  setting  her  out  of  doors. 

It  is  in  these.cases  that  this  man  steps  in,  and  is  generally 
able  to  settle  the  matter  for  a  few  dollars,  which  are  loaned  to 
the  distressed  one  without  interest.  He  has  never  yet  lost  a 
cent  of  money  in  this  way,  and  he  has  assisted  a  great  many 
such  cases.  By  the  aid  of  lawyers  who  give  their  services  in 
such  cases  for  nothing,  he  generally  finds  that  the  victim  has 
already  paid  on  this  mortgage  all  that  the  money  lender  is 
entitled  to,  but  in  some  cases  a  few  dollars  remain  to  be  paid, 
which  is  done.  The  small  fund  which  he  devotes  to  this  pur- 
pose might  have  been  spent  in  pew  rents,  or  a  fast  horse,  or  a 
summer  vacation,  or  some  other  personal  indulgence,  but 
whether  it  would  have  brought  him  such  satisfaction  in  that 
way,  as  it  does  in  the  way  in  which  he  uses  it,  is  very  doubtful, 
indeed. 

Another  thing  which  the  subject  of  this  sketch  does,  his 
house  is  open  to  the  friendless  at  all  times.  He  has  no  other 
social  relations  except  people  who  are  in  distress,  who  need 
counsel  or  temporary  assistance.  These  are  his  chosen  com- 
panions. At  any  time,  day  or  night,  his  doors  are  open  to 
them.  No  one  is  ever  turned  away  hungry  or  friendless. 


FAITH     IX    WOKKS.  21» 

Every  one  is  made  welcome,  and  his  attic  rooms  have  been  the 
haven  where  numberless  poor,  stranded,  defenseless  creatures 
have  found  that  temporary  rest  and  recuperation  needed  to 
keep  them  from  sinking  beneath  the  waves  of  despair  and 
oppression. 

His  social  relations  are  absolutely  limited  to  this  class  of 
people.  It  is  this  class  that  surround  his  table  on  Thanksgiv- 
ing day  and  Christmas  dinner.  It  is  this  class  that  gather 
around  his  fireside  on  long  winter  evenings  and  spend  the 
time  in  song  and  conversation.  It  is  upon  this  class  he  callsr 
when  driving  about  the  city.  It  is  to  this  class  he  talks  and 
writes,  and  it  is  to  the  defense  of  this  class  that  he  uses  what 
influence  and  ability  he  may  possess. 

Now,  in  this  hasty  sketch,  I  have  only  hinted  at  the  real 
life  which  I  have  tried  to  hold  up  before  you.  This  is  what  I 
call  Christian  work.  What  this  man's  devotional  habits  are  I 
do  not  know;  but  he  spends  little  or  no  time  in  the  public 
service  of  the  church.  It  is  my  impression  that  he  is  not  very 
popular  in  the  church  to  which  he  belongs,  and  is  more  or  less 
of  an  enigma,  if  not  a  positive  annoyance,  to  his  pastor.  He 
has  tried  to  use  the  church  in  many  ways  to  forward  his  prac- 
tical schemes  for  righteousness,  and  while  he  has  found  indi- 
vidual members  of  the  church  willing,  yet  the  church  as  an 
institution,  he  tells  me,  is  nearly  or  quite  useless  to  render 
assistance  in  any  practical  way.  The  time  and  money  spent 
in  ecclesiastical  institutions  only  render  him  less  able  to  carry 
on  the  work  of  the  Master. 

It  may  be  that  I  have  given  some  of  you  the  impression 
that  the  man  whom  I  have  been  describing  is  a  sour  visagedr 
ascetic,  useless  old  fogy,  who  has  no  relish  of  life,  or  interest 
in  the  joys  of  modern  civilization.  This  is  not  true.  A  more 
genial,  humorous,  fun-loving,  unconventional,  exuberant, 
rollicking  fellow,  I  have  never  known.  With  his  family  it  is 
a  perpetual  picnic.  They  play  and  sing  and  talk  together 
like  children  of  the  same  age,  and  their  home  life  is  simply 


220  DR.    TALKWELIv'S    SKETCHES. 

ideal  in  its  unstinted  happiness  and  absolute  freedom,  both 
mental  and  physical.  At  their  house  there  is  no  conventional 
Sunday,  nor  family  altar,  nor  mechanical  observance.  Every- 
thing is  spontaneous,  and  each  one  is  a  law  for  himself. 

I  believe  all  this  is  as  it  should  be.  And  while  I  do  not 
doubt  that  a  closer  acquaintance  would  reveal  many  imper- 
fect things,  and  disclose  many  things  that  could  be  improved, 
yet  I  think  that  the  life  that  I  have  tried  to  hold  up  before 
you  is  in  the  direction  of  that  life  which  Jesus  came  to  bring 
to  the  world. 

Everybody  can  do  more  or  less  of  this  kind  of  work  if 
they  wish.  If  the  churches  were  holding  up  this  kind  of  life 
as  Christian  work  and  this  kind  of  character  as  evidence  of  a 
genuine  Christian  experience,  there  would,  no  doubt,  be  more 
such  work  done.  But  so  long  as  miraculous  conversion  is  pro- 
claimed as  the  only  genuine  evidence  of  Christian  character, 
so  long  the  teachings  of  the  church  will  render  little  or  no 
assistance  to  practical  Christian  work. 

In  short,  my  idea  of  Christian  work  exactly  accords  with 
Jesus  when  he  said  as  recorded  in  Matthew,  Chap.  XXV, 
31st  to  37th  verse  : 

"  But  when  the  son  of  man  shall  come  in  his  glory,  and  all 
the  angels  with  him,  then  shall  he  sit  on  the  throne  of  his 
glory ;  and  before  him  shall  be  gathered  all  the  nations ;  and 
he  shall  separate  them  one  from  another,  as  the  shepherds 
separateth  the  sheep  from  the  goats ;  and  he  shall  set  the 
sheep  on  his  right  hand,  and  the  goats  on  the  left. 

"  Then  shall  the  .King  say  unto  them  on  his  right  hand, 
Come  ye  blessed  of  my  Father,  inherit  the  kingdom  prepared 
for  you  from  the  foundation  of  the  world ;  for  I  was  an  hun- 
gered, and  ye  gave  me  meat ;  I  was  thirsty  and  ye  gave  me 
drink ;  I  was  a  stranger,  and  ye  visited  me ;  I  was  in  prison 
and  ve  came  unto  me." 


OBSESSION    (DEMONOLOQY). 


Jesus  "Called  Unto    Him    the   Twelve  and  Gave  Them 
Power  Over  Unclean   Spirits." 


>S  DR.  TALKWELL  was  about   to   begin   his  report 
last   Sunday  morning,  a   prominent  Spiritualist   of 
the  city  arose  and  requested  permission  to  ask  the 
doctor  a   question.     He  was  given   the  permission 
and  put  the  question  as  follows : 

"  In  some  remarks  of  yours  a  few  Sundays  ago,  you  stated 
that  it  was  your  belief  that  the  spirits  of  the  dead  were  able 
to  affect  the  living  for  good  or  ill.  You  did  not  elaborate  this 
statement,  and  what  I  would  like  to  ask  you  this  morning  is 
in  what  way  do  the  spirits  of  those  who  are  dead  affect  us  for 
ill?" 

The  doctor  replied  :  "Well,  my  friend,  you  have  raised  a 
very  serious  question.  The  subject  of  demonology  is  a  subject 
which  the  doctors  of  divinity  very  wisely  let  alone  today.  I 
remember,  while  I  was  still  counted  as  an  orthodox  clergymanr 
I  was  appointed  to  read  a  paper  at  a  ministerial  conference  on 
the  subject  of  'Demonology.'  As  I  had  learned  nothing  of  this 
subject  in  my  theological  studies,  I  was  anxious  to  read  it  up 
a  little  before  I  attempted  to  write  the  paper. 

"Where  was  I  to  find  some  good  authority  who  had  written 
up  this  subject?  This  was  the  first  question  before  me. 
Accordingly  I  wrote  a  letter  to  several  clergymen  of  national 
reputation,  asking  them  if  they  knew  of  a  good  work,  by  a 
recognized  authority,  on  the  subject  of  'Demonology/  I 


't&  DR.    TALKXVELL'S     SKETCHES. 

received  several  replies,  which  informed  me  that  there  was 
no  such  work  as  that  worth  anyone's  reading;  that  the  subject 
of  demons,  or  devils,  or  evil  spirits,  was  a  subject  about  which 
the  theologian  of  today  professes  to  know  nothing. 

u  Now.  you  see,  my  friend,  your  question  has  raised  this 
subject,  c  Can  the  spirits  of  the  departed  do  us,  who  remain  in 
the  flesh,  any  ill  ? '  If  you  had  lived  in  the  time  of  Jesus  you 
would  not  have  asked  such  a  question.  Everybody  then  be- 
lieved that  evil  spirits  could  affect  people.  Jesus  met  this 
belief  every  day ;  on  every  page  of  the  Gospel  are  to  be  found 
conversations  or  occurrences  in  which  Jesus  engaged  concern- 
ing evil  spirits. 

The  word,  "devil,71  as  we  read  it  in  the  Testament,  should 
have  been  translated  demon,  or  spirit,  in  order  to  convey  the 
meaning  intended.  This  word  does  not  mean  Satan,  or  a  fallen 
angel,  at  all.  The  word  translated  u  devil "  as  it  was  used  in 
the  time  of  Jesus,  meant  simply  spirit — an  unclean  spirit. 
Whence  came  these  spirits  that  plagued  the  people  then  ? 
What  was  the  origin  of  the  spirits  that  Jesus  cast  out  from 
the  people?  To  show  you  that  they  used  the  words  devil  and 
spirit  as  synonyms,  let  me  read  you  a  paragraph  from  the 
Testament : 

First,  from  Luke  IV,  beginning  with  the  thirty-first  verse  : 
•"  And  he  came  down  to  Capernaum,  a  city  of  Galilee.  And 
he  was  teaching  them  on  the  Sabbath  day  ;  and  they  were 
astonished  at  his  teaching ;  for  his  word  was  with  authority. 
And  in  the  synagogue  there  was  a  man  who  had  a  spirit 
of  an  unclean  devil ;  and  he  cried  out  with  a  loud  voice, 
Ah !  what  have  we  to  do  with  thee,  thou  Jesus  of  Nazareth  ? 
Art  thou  come  to  destroy  us  ?  I  know  who  thou  art,  the  Holy 
One  of  God.  And  Jesus  rebuked  him,  saying,  Hold  thy  peace 
and  come  out  of  him.  Aud  when  the  devil  had  thrown  him 
down  in  the  midst,  he  came  out  of  him,  having  done  him 
no  hurt.  And  amazement  came  upon  all,  and  they  spake 
together  one  with  another,  saying,  What  is  this  word?  For 


OBSESSION     (DEMONCMLOGY).  y&i 

with  authority  and  power  he  commandeth  the  unclean  spirits, 
and  they  come  out.  And  there  went  forth  a  rumor  concerning 
him  into  every  place  of  the  region  round  about." 

And  again,  in  Luke  IX,  beginning  with  the  thirty-seventh 
verse :  "  And  it  came  to  pass,  on  the  next  day,  when  they 
were  come  down  from  the  mountains,  a  great  multitude  met 
him.  And  behold  a  man  from  the  multitude  cried,  saying, 
Master  I  beseech  thee  to  look  upon  my  son ;  for  he  is  mine 
only  child ;  and  behold,  a  spirit  taketh  him,  and  he  suddenly 
crieth  out ;  and  it  teareth  him  that  he  foameth  ;  and  it  hardly 
departeth  from  him  bruising  him  sorely.  And  I  besought 
thy  disciples  to  cast  it  out;  and  they  could  not.  And  Jesus 
answered  and  said,  O  faithless  and  perverse  generation,  how 
long  shall  I  be  with  you,  and  bear  with  you  ?  Bring  hither 
thy  son.  And  as  he  was  yet  a  coming,  the  devil  dashed  him 
down  and  tore  him  grieviously.  But  Jesus  rebuked  the 
unclean  spirit,  and  healed  the  boy,  and  gave  him  back  to  his 
father.  And  they  were  all  astonished  at  the  majesty  of  God." 

Thus  you  see,  in  the  language  of  the  New  Testament,  that 
the  words  devil  and  unclean  spirit,  mean  exactly  the  same 
thing.  Sometimes,  in  referring  to  the  same  affliction,  the  word 
devil  was  used,  and  then  again  the  word  spirit. 

It  is  certain  that  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament 
believed  that  the  unclean  spirits  were  able  to  take  possession 
of  men  and  women,  causing  them  to  do  and  say  things  they 
would  not  otherwise  have  done  or  said;  that  these  writers 
believed  that  Jesus  and  his  disciples  were  able  sometimes  to 
cause  these  unclean  spirits  to  leave  the  afflicted  ones;  that 
their  ability  to  cast  out  the  unclean  spirits  depended  in  part 
on  the  faith  of  the  one  attempting  to  cast  them  out,  and  in 
part  upon  the  faith  of  the  afflicted  one.  At  first  the  disciples 
were  unable  to  cast  out  these  spirits  because  of  their  faith- 
lessness. It  is  beyond  dispute  that  the  writers  of  the  Gospel 
believed  these  things. 

I  am  well  aware  that  these  things  have  been  explained 


-224  DR.    TALKWELL'S     vSKETCHES. 

away.  1  used  to  myself  belong  to  a  class  of  theologians  whose 
business  it  is  to  explain  away  nearly  everything*  that  Jesus 
said  or  did,  in  order  to  reconcile  the  Gospel  to  my  own  views. 
I  used  to  say  that  the  writers  of  the  New  Testament  recorded 
the  facts  as  they  understood  them;  that  these  people  supposed 
they  had  evil  spirits  when  they  really  had  epilepsy,  or  some 
other  nervous  disorder;  that  Jesus  accommodated  himself  to 
their  mistake,  and  allowed  them  to  think  he  was  casting  out 
unclean  spirits,  when  in  fact  he  was  doing  nothing  of  the  kindT 
but  was  operating  upon  the  imagination  of  his  subjects 
entirely.  Such  a  man  would  be  called  a  charlatan,  today,  by 
the  medical  profession. 

But  if  we  are  able  to  take  the  Gospel  as  it  .reads  we  cannot 
escape  one  of  two  conclusions ;  either  that  the  Gospels  are 
gross  misrepresentations  of  what  occurred,  or  else  Jesus  him- 
self believed  that  he  was  calling  out  unclean  spirits. 

While  most  people  are  willing  to  accept  the  doctrine  that 
the  spirits  of  good  people  continue  to  minister  to  our  good 
alter  they  have  departed  from  the  flesh,  there  is  a  natural 
repugnance  to  the  doctrine  that  the  spirits  of  bad  people  are 
able  to  continue  their  mischievous  work  after  their  departure. 
Surely  one  is  as  logical  as  the  other,  and  it  is  very  difficult  to 
escape  one  conclusion  if  we  admit  the  other. 

The  objections  that  arise  in  the  mind  against  the  doctrine 
of  evil  spirits  are  not  so  formidable  on  close  examination.  It 
will  be  asked,  "  Are  we  then  at  the  mercy  of  .evil  spirits,  who 
can  enter  our  hearts  at  any  moment,  pervert  our  lives  at  any 
time  or  place  they  choose?  -' 

No ;  this  does  not  necessarily  follow.  The  spirits  of  the 
departed  are  like  the  spirits  of  those  who  remain  in  the  flesh— 
they  seek  their  own.  They  desire  to  associate  with  those  who- 
are  like  them.  Evil  spirits  would  not  disturb  us  if  we  were 
not  evil  ourselves.  We  will  invite  to  ourselves  precisely  such 
spirits  as  we  have  made  welcome  by  the  lives  we  lead.  No- 
bad  spirit  could  control  the  life  of  a  good  man. 


OBSESSION     (DEMONOLOGY).  225 

Our  spiritual  environment  corresponds  to  our  physical 
environment.  If  we  surround  ourselves  with  evil  suggestions 
or  dissipation,  we  attract  to  ourselves  just  such  spirits,  and 
their  ministrations  to  us  affect  our  lives  for  ill  in  precisely  the 
same  way  that  the  ministrations  of  good  spirits  affect  our  lives 
for  good.  We  are  not  at  their  mercy  at  all.  Jesus  can  today 
cast  out  the  spirits  the  same  as  he  could  when  he  walked  and 
talked  in  Palestine.  We  can,  by  faith  in  the  words  of  Jesus, 
find  ourselves  ministered  to  by  good  spirits.  If  we  look 
closely  at  this  doctrine  we  do  not  find  it  so  horrible  after  all. 
At  least,  those  who  are  trying  to  live  good  lives  need  not  be 
disturbed  by  it. 

I  have  come  to  that  state  of  mind  in  which  I  am  willing 
to  believe  almost  any  theory  which  makes  unrighteousness 
more  hateful  and  undesirable,  and  makes  righteousness  more 
desirable.  If  my  life  is  what  it  ought  to  be  I  shall  be 
glad  to  be  surrounded  by  the  good  spirits  of  my  departed 
friends,  and  I  shall  not  at  all  fear  the  evil  spirits  of  those  mis- 
guided, headstrong  ones  we  call  bad.  There  is  nothing  in  the 
ministry  of  good  spirits  or  in  the  evil  machinations  of  bad 
spirits,  that  ought  to  disturb  a  good  man. 

But  on  the  other  hand,  if  I  am  a  bad  man,  consciously 
bad,  I  should  not  desire  the  presence  of  my  departed  friends, 
either  good  or  bad  ones.  I  would  not  like  the  good  ones  to 
witness  my  degradation  and  uncleanness.  I  should  be  anxious 
to  escape  their  knowledge  of  my  evil  ways.  At  the  same  time 
I  should  fear  the  presence  of  evil  spirits.  They  would  haunt 
me  in  my  dreams,  and  make  me  fearful  in  my  waking 
moments.  The  whole  doctrine  of  the  ministration  of  good 
and  evil  spirits  is  hateful  only  to  those  who  are  evil,  and  has 
no  terrors  for  the  righteous  man. 

But  we  must  not  judge  of  the  badness  of  spirits  by  the 
apparent  badness  of  people  while  in  the  flesh.  People  are 
not  so  bad  as  they  seem.  Most  ill  doing  depends  upon  some 
obscure  physical  infirmity  or  mental  defect.  Once  liberated 


226  DR.    TALKWEUL'S     SKETCHES, 

from  the  body  the  spirit  loses  all  its  physical  hindrances  and 
retains  only  its  mistaken  notions.  Thus,  much  of  the  badness 
disappears.  Its  ignorance  only,  remains,  but  liberated  from 
the  hindrances  of  the  body  it  rapidly  grows  in  spirit  and  in 
truth.  During  its  different  stages  of  growth,  however,  it  seeks 
the  association  of  those  who  are  in  the  same  stage  of  growth. 
Even  the  bad  spirit  may  imagine  he  is  helping  those  he  is 
hurting.  He  would  naturally  help  those  who  hold  the  same 
mistaken  notion  with  himself. 

At  any  rate,  the  New  Testament  is  hopelessly  committed 
to  this  doctrine.  If  we  wish  to  escape  this  doctrine  we  must 
throw  away  our  Testaments.  No  height  of  pious  evasion ;  no 
length  of  theological  quibbling;  no  breadth  of  elastic  imagina- 
tion ;  no  depth  of  deliberate  duplicity,  can  escape  the  fact  that 
from  end  to  end  the  Gospels  are  saturated  with  the  doctrine  of 
evil  spirits.  He  who  holds  the  New  Testament  in  his  hands 
and  pretends  to  love  it  as  a  revelation  of  God,  and  yet  professes 
not  to  believe  in  the  presence  of  spirits  about  us,  both  good 
and  bad,  has  managed  to  execute  a  mental  back  double  somer- 
sault very  difficult  to  explain;  much  more  difficult,  indeed, 
than  to  reconcile  the  demonology  of  Jesus  with  the  latest 
revelations  of  modern  science. 


x 


DIVORCE  AND   ADULTERY. 


"  Whosoever     Shall     Marry     Her     that    is    Divorced,     Committeth 

Adultery." 


JT  THE  close  of  his  regular  Sunday  morning  report 
Dr.  Talkwell  said :  I  have  been  asked  again  and 
again  for  my  opinion  as  to  marriage  and  divorce. 
All  sorts  of  questions  have  been  asked  me  indicating 
unsettled  convictions  and  a  variety  of  opinions  on  this  subject. 
I  should  pay  no  attention  to  these  questions  were  it  not  for 
the  fact  that  it  gives  rne  an  opportunity  to  illustrate  how 
completely  the  teachings  of  Jesus  are  ignored  by  those  people 
who  call  themselves  Christians. 

The  teachings  of  Jesus  on  this  subject  are  so  plain,  so 
emphatic,  as  to  leave  no  room  for  query  or  uncertainty.  It 
seems  almost  incredible  that  people  will  go  on  calling  Jesus 
their  Master,  pretending  to  be  guided  by  his  teachings,  com- 
passing earth  and  sea  to  make  proselytes  in  the  name  of 
Jesus,  and  all  the  time  deliberately  and  persistently  violating 
the  plainest  and  most  reasonable  of  his  teachings.  After 
reading  the  words  of  Jesus  on  the  subject  of  divorce  it  is  the 
most  shameless  cavil  to  pretend  to  be  a  follower  of  Jesus  and 
hold  prevalent  notions  on  divorce. 

Jesus  said  :  "  It  has  been  said,  Whosoever  shall  put  away 
his  wife,  let  him  give  her  a  writing  of  divorcement ;  but  I  say 
unto  you,  That  whosoever  shall  put  away  his  wife,  saving  for 
the  cause  of  fornication,  causeth  her  to  commit  adultery ;  and 
whosoever  shall  marry  her  that  is  divorced  committeth  adul- 
terv." 


ffiS  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

In  other  words,  Jesus  taught  that  there  was  only  one 
transgression  which  the  wife  could  commit  which  warrants  a 
man  in  obtaining  a  divorce.  In  order  to  be  sure  that  they 
should  not  misunderstand  him  he  named  that  transgression 
openly,  fornication.  Again,  a  divorced  wife  cannot  remarry, 
according  to  Jesus,  without  committing  adultery.  Now,  Jesus 
said  these  things  plainly;  there  is  no  possibility  of  misunder- 
standing his  words ;  nowhere  did  he  say  anything  different  or 
modify  in  any  degree  this  simple  and  emphatic  teaching. 

The  Catholic  church,  be  it  said  to  her  credit,  has  observed 
the  teachings  of  Jesus  in  this  respect,  but  what  about  the 
Protestant  churches  ?  Every  church  seems  to  be  a  law  unto 
itself  concerning  the  subject  of  divorce.  Whatever  the  law  of 
the  church  happens  to  be,  that  the  church  follows,  without  any 
reference  whatever  to  what  Jesus  taught. 

If  Jesus  was  right,  every  divorced  woman  who  remarries 
is  guilty  of  adultery  and  every  preacher  who  remarries  or 
consents  to  the  remarriage  of  such  a  woman  is  a  participant  in 
her  crime.  There  is  no  way  to  cavil  around  this  plain  truth. 
So  far  as  I  am  aware  there  has  never  been  any  attempt,  either 
with  subterfuge  or  sophistry,  to  explain  away  this  daring  vio- 
lation of  the  Master's  teaching.  It  is  simply  a  case  of  diso- 
bedience for  which  no  excuse  is  possible. 

After  all  that  has  been  said  about  following  Jesus,  after  all 
that  has  been  sung  about  walking  in  his  footsteps,  yet  as  soon 
as  any  single  command  of  his  comes  in  conflict  with  the  selfish 
interests  of  the  church  organization,  a  complete  back  down  is 
the  inevitable  result. 

I  am  not  at  present  discussing  whether  a  divorce  ought  to 
be  granted  for  any  other  reason  than  fornication,  or  whether  a 
woman  divorced  has  a  right  to  marry  again.  I  am  not  discus- 
sing these  questions  from  my  own  standpoint.  I  am  simply 
stating  that  Jesus  said  these  things,  and  that  the  Protestant 
church  is  openly  and  flagrantly  practicing  to  the  contrary, 


DIVORCE    AND    ADULTERY.  229 

with  here  and  there  an  exception.  And  now  let  me  explain 
why  they  are  doing  so. 

It  is  one  of  the  inevitable  evils  that  follow  in  the  wake  of 
the  ecclesiastical  competition  which  began  with  the  Reforma- 
tion. Let  us  say,  a  prominent  supporter  of  the  church  wished 
a  divorce.  If  he  could  not  get  a  divorce  and  remain  in  the 
church  where  he  belonged,  he  would  withdraw  his  support  and 
go  to  a  church  where  he  could  get  his  divorce.  The  secular 
authorities,  for  various  reasons,  wishing  to  grant  divorces  on 
un-Scriptural  grounds,  thus  gained  the  sanction  of  the  church. 
With  this  encouragement,  secular  authorities  have  continued 
to  develop  and  multiply  the  divorce  laws  until  now,  with 
plenty  of  money  and  influence,  a  man  or  a  woman  may  marry 
or  remarry  with  little  or  no  restraint. 

If  the  teachings  of  Jesus  upon  this  subject  are  not  prac- 
ticable, why  does  not  the  church  come  out  and  say  so  plainly  ? 
If  Jesus  can  no  longer  be  trusted  to  lead,  why  do  they  pretend 
to  continue  following  him  ? 

The  subject  of  marriage  and  divorce  is  a  very  sacred  sub- 
ject. It  is  a  subject  that  touches  society,  the  home,  and  all 
that  is  sacred  to  domestic  ties,  at  a  most  vital  point.  If  there 
be  any  sacred  institution  in  this  world,  it  is  the  institution  of 
marriage ;  and  if  Jesus  is  not  obeyed  on  this  most  important 
subject,  why  should  we  pay  any  attention  whatever  to  anything 
else  he  says  ?  If  he  did  not  know  what  ought  to  constitute  a 
just  ground  for  divorce,  and  then  did  not  know  whether  such 
people  ought  to  remarry  or  not,  what  did  he  know?  It  is 
simply  a  howling  farce  for  people,  who  are  setting  aside  Jesus' 
teachings  in  these  particulars,  to  pretend  to  be  his  followers. 
Every  song  sung  by  such  a  church  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  a  hollow  mockery.  It  is  passing  strange  that  people  can 
practice  in  cold  blood,  day  after  day,  such  deliberate  and 
unprovoked  contempt  of  the  master  they  profess  to  follow. 

Remember,  I  am  not  discussing  the  subject  of  marriage 
and  divorce  from  my  own  standpoint,  nor  am  I  pretending  to 


230  DR.    TALKWELJL'S    SKETCHES. 

give  a  theory  of  my  own.  I  am  simply  giving  what  Jesus  said 
about  it,  and  am  calling  attention  to  the  fact  that  people  can 
profess  to  follow  Jesus  as  their  Master,  and  then  deliberately 
strike  out  from  among  his  teachings  all  those  that  do  not  please 
them. 

Of  course  I  am  aware  that  there  are  ministers  who  follow 
Jesus'  teachings  to  the  letter  in  regard  to  divorce,  but  this  is 
the  exception  rather  than  the  rule.  The  Protestant  churches 
of  today  are  not  taught  to  obey  Jesus  in  this  respect.  There 
are  so  many  of  the  Master's  teachings  that  the  church  has 
deliberately  set  aside  that  it  is  an  ever  increasing  wonder  to 
me  that  they  call  themselves  Christians  at  all. 

Jesus  said  that  alms-giving  should  be  practiced  in  secret. 
The  church  practices  it  in  public.  Jesus  said  that  fasting 
should  always  be  done  in  secret,  and  carefully  concealed  from 
the  public.  So  far  as  the  church  observes  fasting  at  all  it  does 
not  do  so.  Jesus  said  prayer  should  be  in  secret,  and  I  defy 
anyone  to  quote  a  single  word  from  Jesus  concerning  a  public 
prayer,  and  yet  the  practice  of  public  prayer  is  so  common 
that  no  church  service  would  be  considered  complete  without 
a  public  prayer.  Jesus  said:  "  Swear  not  at  all;"  that  is, 
take  no  oath,  but  let  your  answers  be  simply  yes  or  no :  for 
u  whatsoever  is  more  than  this  cometh  of  evil,"  and  yet,  with 
rare  exceptions,  the  church  pays  no  attention  to  it.  Jesus 
washed  his  disciples'  feet  and  commanded  those  who  profess  to 
be  Christian  ministers  to  do  the  same.  In  fact,  this  was  the 
only  ordinance  that  he  established  at  all,  but  it  has  been 
quietly  ignored  by  the  rank  and  file  of  the  church. 

This  list  of  omissions  might  be  continued,  but  time  for- 
bids. Suffice  it  to  say  that  not  only  have  we  departed  from 
following  Jesus  in  his  daily  habits  and  example,  but  we  have 
departed  from  his  teachings  until  there  is  little  or  no  resem- 
blance between  our  practices  and  the  teachings  of  Jesus. 

The  reason  for  this  is  that  Jesus  did  not  have  in  view  a 
church  organization.  He  was  not  making  a  creed  or  philoso- 


DIVORCE    AND    ADULTERY.  231 

phy  to  support  an  ecclesiastical  machine.  He  was  simply 
showing  people  how  to  live.  He  expected  his  gospel  to  be 
propagated  from  man  to  man.  He  gave  his  life  to  his  disciples, 
and  expected  them  to  give  their  lives  to  other  followers,  and 
so  the  life  of  Christ  would  be  handed  down  from  generation  to 
generation. 

Indeed,  this  is  exactly  what  has  occurred  in  spite  of  the 
church.  The  church,  as  an  organization,  has  rendered  little 
or  no  assistance  about  this  matter.  It  has  often  hindered 
propagation  of  the  real  gospel,  but  it  is  not  clear  to  my  mind 
that  it  has  ever  helped  it 

This  is  not  saying  that  the  church  is  bad;  that  it  has  no 
function  in  society,  but  it  is  saying  that,  in  the  development 
of  the  church,  little  or  no  regard  has  been  given  to  the  teach- 
ings of  the  Master  they  profess  to  follow.  Many  people 
within  the  church,  as  well  as  outside  the  church,  are  following 
Jesus  according  to  their  best  light  and  opportunity,  but  to  say 
that  the  church  renders  any  direct  assistance  to  such  people, 
or  furnishes  them  any  special  opportunities  for  such  work,  any 
more  than  any  other  institution  of  modern  civilization,  is,  I 
believe,  saying  too  much. 


SCIENCE   AND   THEOLOGY. 


The  Scientist  and  the  Theologian,  as  Contrasted  by  Dr.  Talk  well, 


>S  DR.  TALKWELL  stood  up  before  the  large  audi- 
ence that  greeted  him  last  Sunday  morning,  instead 
of  beginning  his  report  as  usual,  he  spoke  as  follows: 
The  meeting  in  our  city  of  the  convention  of 
scientists  has  brought  to  us  a  large  number  of  very  distin- 
guished men  for  whom  I  entertain  the  most  profound  respect. 
These  men,  I  believe,  are  the  hope  of  the  world.  It  is  to 
these  men  that  we  must  look  for  our  saviours,  our  deliverers, 
our  redeemers.  Science  is  the  real  Messiah  for  which  the 
world  has  been  looking  so  long.  Theology  has  always  been 
talking  about  a  Messiah,  while  science  has  been  quietly  pre- 
paring his  way  and  making  his  paths  straight.  The  scientist 
has  always  been  a  man  of  action;  the  theologian  a  man  of 
talk. 

What  is  the  difference  between  a  scientist  and  a  theolo- 
gian? Both  are  trying  to  account  lor  the  universe.  Both  are 
attempting  to  give  us  something  of  the  past  history  of  the 
earth,  and  to  peer  into  the  future  destiny  of  the  earth  that 
lies  before  us.  Both  the  scientist  and  the  theologian,  each  in 
his  own  way,  are  trying  to  give  us  an  explanation  of  this  won- 
derful universe  in  which  we  find  ourselves. 

What,  then,  is  the  difference  between  a  scientist  and  a 
theologian?  These  men  are  alike  in  one  more  particular,  at 
least,  namely,  that  they  are  not  content  to  eat  and  sleep,  work 
and  play,  live  and  die  with  no  interest  in  such  great  questions 


SCIENCE    AND    THEOLOGY.  233 

as:  Who  are  we?  Whence   did   we   come?    Whither  are  we 
going  ? 

But  in  attempting  to  answer  these  questions  there  is  a 
radical  difference  between  them.  The  theologian  assumes 
that  he  has  a  revelation  from  God  which  fully  answers  all 
these  questions.  This  naturally  leads  him  to  confine  his 
inquiries  mainly,  if  not  wholly,  to  this  revelation.  The  scien- 
tist, on  the  other  hand,  either  denies  or  ignores  such  revelation, 
and  turns  to  the  -universe  itself  to  learn  what  he  can  from 
study  of  its  laws  and  forces.  The  theologian  studies  a  book. 
The  scientist  studies  a  universe. 

With  the  Bible  in  his  hand  the  theologian  feels  sure  he 
has  the  key  that  will  unlock  all  mysteries,  answer  all  ques- 
tions. The  scientist  makes  no  such  use  of  the  Bible.  He 
may  use  the  Bible  as  a  devotional  book  or  imagine  that  he 
finds  in  its  pages  good  ethics,  but  when  he  really  wishes  to 
discover  any  truth  concerning  the  great  problems  about  us  he 
appeals  to  some  source  of  scientific  investigation. 

What  the  theologian  hopes  to  find  by  Scriptural  exegesis, 
the  scientist  seekg  in  the  rocks.  The  theologian  tries  to  learn 
of  heavenly  mansions  by  burying  his  face  in  a  musty  volume, 
while  the  scientist  really  discovers  innumerable  heavenly 
mansions  with  the  telescope  and  spectroscope. 

The  theologian  feeds  on  speculations  and  inferences.  The 
scientist  weighs  and  measures.  The  theologian  withdraws 
from  nature  and  becomes  encysted  from  the  real  world  by  the 
walls  of  his  study,  but  the  scientist  gathers  truth  from  fields 
and  woods  and  mountains.  When  the  theologian  wishes  to 
know  more  about  his  fellow-man  he  fills  his  soul  with  the  fan- 
tastic sayings  of  the  church  fathers  or  the  fables  of  John 
Bunyan.  The  scientist  seeks  this  same  information  by  the 
methods  of  modern  sociology.  The  theologian  makes  a  pil- 
grimage to  the  Holy  Land  to  pull  over  again  the  straw  and 
chaff  of  ancient  tradition  and  mvth.  The  scientist  makes  a 


234  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

pilgrimage  to  Arctic  seas  or  to  tropic  forests  to  gather  fauna 
and  flora  to  enrich  the  museums  and  libraries  of  the  world. 

The  theologian  poisons  his  lungs  and  brain  by  breathing 
the  noxious  air  of  an  unventilated  study,  thus  making  himself 
the  easy  victim  of  morbid  fancy  and  abnormal  whim,  while 
the  scientist  is  laying  the  foundation  for  right  thinking  by 
inhaling  the  oxygenated  air  of  the  glacial  regions,  or  tramp- 
ing over  plain  and  hillside  in  search  of  fossil  and  boulder. 

The  golden  age  of  the  theologian  is  in  the  past.  Accord- 
ing to  him  the  world  reached  the  zenith  of  its  revelation 
nineteen  hundred  years  ago.  If  we  wish  to  know  the  truth 
we  must  look  backwards,  not  forwards.  Revelation  closed 
centuries  ago,  since  when  the  heavens  have  been  dumb.  The 
eye  of  the  aspiring  theologian  is  turned  longingly  toward  the 
Orient.  The  dead  languages,  the  mouldering  stone  heaps  of 
the  East  are  to  him  of  greater  import  than  the  restless  dis- 
covery and  revolutionary  invention  of  the  west.  He  decider 
everything  by  defunct  diatribes  and  confirms  everything  by 
canting  canons. 

The  golden  age  of  the  scientist  is  the  future.  According 
to  him  the  world  is  yet  only  on  the  threshold  of  revelation. 
If  we  wish  to  know  the  truth  we  must  look  forward,  not  back- 
ward. The  books  of  God's  revelation  are  just  beginning  to 
open,  and  the  heavens  are  whispering  secrets  which  they 
refused  to  tell  the  ancient  peoples.  The  eyes  of  the  tireless 
scientist  are  turned  with  faith  toward  the  Occident.  He 
leaves  the  dead  to  bury  the  dead,  and  continues  to  harness  his 
chariot  of  progress  to  wave,  and  wind,  and  electricity.  He 
decides  everything  by  experience  and  confirms  everything  by 
experiment. 

Among  scientists  there  is  a  practical  agreement  the  world 
over;  but  the  theologians  are  in  a  constant  state  of  violent 
disagreement.  The  scientist  welcomes  every  new  theory, 
and  gives  willing  place  to  unexpected  discoveries.  The 
theologian  frowns  at  new  things,  and  fights  to  the  last  against 


SCIENCE    AND    THEOLOGY.  23iv 

new  light.  The  scientist  regards  truth  as  something  that 
is  unfolding,  unfinished,  in  a  state  of  evolution.  The  theolo- 
gian tenaciously  clings  to  his  last  dogma  as  something  finishedr 
incapable  of  improvement,  infallible,  unquestionable.  In  the 
mind  of  the  scientist  God  is  creating  the  world  now.  In  the 
mind  of  the  theologian,  God  has  created  the  world  and  is 
resting. 

The  study  of  science  engenders  no  schism,  creates  no 
enemies,  fosters  no  persecutions.  The  history  of  theology  is 
the  history  of  schism,  war  and  persecution.  The  scientist 
beholds  the  universe  as  a  stable  thing,  governed  by  unchange- 
able laws,  absolutely  indifferent  to  petition,  coercion  or  bribe. 
The  theologian  conceives  of  the  universe  as  governed  by  a 
Being  whom  petition  can  change,  importunity  can  modify,  and 
sacrifice  can  placate.  The  scientist  sees  no  room  in  the  uni- 
verse for  caprice  or  pity  or  patronage.  The  theologian  seeks 
to  clothe  the  Father  of  the  Universe  with  the  vacillating  likes 
and  dislikes  of  an  earthly  parent. 

The  theologian  essays  to  discover  the  attributes  of  God 
by  syllogism  and  metaphysical  distinctions.  The  scientist 
acquaints  himself  with  the  attributes  of  God  by  looking 
calmly  and  squarely  into  the  facts  of  nature.  When  the  theolo- 
gian wishes  to  prove  anything  he  cites  authorities,  quotes  dig- 
nitaries. When  the  scientist  wishes  to  prove  anything,  he 
turns  to  the  indubitable  facts  of  the  universe. 

The  assumptions  of  theology  can  be  learned  by  the  lazy 
and  the  arrogant.  But  science  has  no  royal  road;  all  its 
devotees  must  be  humble,  sincere  workers.  The  deductive 
method  of  the  theologian  finds  its  choicest  tid-bit  in  the 
ambiguities  of  the  Apocalypse  and  the  Prophet  Daniel.  But 
the  inductive  method  of  science  prefers  the  homely  diet  of 
every  day  facts  and  tangible  evidences. 

I  do  not  wish  to  ignore  the  fact  that  the  trend  of 
modern  theology  is  in  the  direction  of  science,  and  away 
from  ancient  tradition  and  church  form.  I  very  gratefully 


236  DR.    TALKWEIX'S    SKETCHES. 

remember  this  while  I  am  saying  all  these  things,  and  yet 
I  wish  to  drop  this  caution,  that  so  lar  as  theology  influ- 
ences any  man's  thought,  it  is  in  the  direction  above 
indicated.  Neither  do  I  wish  to  infer  that  all  preachers  are 
theologians,  and  therefore  come  under  the  opprobrium  of 
theology.  Many  preachers,  by  instinct  and  education,  are 
scientists,  rather  than  theologians.  They  constantly  appeal  to 
the  natural  facts  of  religion,  rather  than  the  historic  or  tradi- 
tional facts.  No  doubt  the  tendency  of  the  pulpit  is  rapidly 
in  this  direction. 

Perhaps  the  day  is  near  at  hand  when  the  preacher's 
library  will  be  mainly  a  scientific  one.  I  sincerely  hope  so. 
For  whatever  else  may  be  said  of  the  church,  it  stands  today 
as  the  most  potential  institution  for  popular  education  of 
which  modern  society  can  boast.  It  has  the  machinery  and 
facility  for  doing  a  great  work  in  dispelling  the  darkness  of 
ignorance  and  bringing  in  the  light  of  scientific  truth.  The 
work  the  church  has  before  it  is  a  double  one.  First,  to  era- 
dicate the  poison  weeds  that  theology  has  so  faithfully  planted 
and  cultivated,  and  second  to  prepare  the  ground  and  sow  the 
seed  of  scientific  truth,  which  will  bring  forth  an  abundant 
harvest. 

But  I  do  not  allow  my  anticipations  to  shut  out  the  ugly 
fact  that  it  is  only  a  small  minority  of  the  churches  that  has 
laid  aside  the  useless  task  of  perpetuating  theology;  that  has 
taken  up  the  healthful,  constructive  one  of  teaching  the 
people  the  facts  revealed  by  science.  The  day  is  rapidly 
approaching  when  the  savant  and  the  philosopher  will  take 
the  place  of  the  preacher  of  theology. 

Our  preachers  will  then,  indeed,  be  prophets.  Then, 
indeed,  will  the  pulpit  be  a  watch-tower  and  its  occupant  a 
watchman  foretelling  real  dangers,  predicting  actual  calamities, 
saving  the  people,  not  from  an  angry  God,  but  from  the  out- 
raged laws  of  nature;  saving  them  not  from  an  omnipresent 


SCIENCE    AND    THEOLOGY.  '..'37 

devil,  but  from  the  omnipresent,  irrevocable  forces  of  the 
universe. 

Jesus  said  on  one  occasion,  while  speaking  on  this  same 
subject : 

"  But  woe  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  ! 
because  ye  shut  the  kingdom  of  heaven  against  men,  for  ye 
enter  not  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  them  that  are  entering 
in  to  enter. 

u  Woe,  unto  you,  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites !  for 
ye  compass  sea  and  land  to  make  one  proselyte ;  and  when 
he  is  become  so,  ye  make  him  twofold  more  a  son  of  hell  than 
yourselves. 

"  Woe  unto  you.  Scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypocrites  !  for 
ye  pay  tithe  of  mint  and  anise  and  cummin,  and  have  omitted 
the  weightier  matters  of  the  law,  judgment,  mercy  and  faith; 
these  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other 
undone. 

"  Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a  gnat,  and  swallow  a 
camel." 


DR.  TALKWELL'S  SECULAR  CHURCH. 


A   Creedless   Religion  at   Work, 


IS  Monday  morning,  and  Dr.  Talkwell  is  seated 
in  the  little  study  which  forms  a  part  of  the  vast 
church  building  over  which  he  presides.  It  is  the 
same  study,  where,  a  little  over  a  year  ago,  the  doctor 
formally  presented  his  resignation  to  the  official  board  of  his 
church.  It  was  here  in  this  little  room  where  his  church 
brethren  met  him  and  listened  with  astonishment  to  his 
reasons  for  resigning  as  their  pastor;  that  according  to  his 
later  reading  of  the  New  Testament,  he  was  not  a  Christian 
minister,  and  was  unwilling  to  be  posed  as  such  any  longer: 
that  their  so-called  church  was  only  an  institution  of  public 
instruction ;  that  there  was  no  parallel  between  the  life  he 
was  leading  and  the  life  Jesus  outlined  for  his  disciples. 

There  was  no  attempt  on  the  part  of  Dr.  Talkwell  to  deny 
that  he  had  been  doing  a  good  and  useful  work,  but  he  was 
fully  satisfied  that  the  work  he  had  been  doing  was  not  tiie 
work  of  a  Christian  minister.  Therefore,  he  had  resigned,  in 
order  to  escape  the  inconsistency  of  pretending  to  be  doing 
what  he  was  not  doing.  He  was  even  willing  to  continue 
speaking  from  their  pulpit,  if  they  were  willing  to  lay  aside 
the  notion  that  they  were  making  any  pretense  of  doing  the 
work  of  a  Christian  minister. 

After  some  talk  it  was  finally  agreed  that  he  was  to  spend 
his  time  visiting  about  the  city,  doing  as  nearly  as  he  could 
the  work  of  a  Christian  minister,  and  reporting  every  Sunday 


DR.    TALKWELL'S     SECULAR    CHURCH.  239 

morning  from  his  old  pulpit  the  things  he  had  seen  and  heard 
during  the  week.  They  were  to  drop  the  title  "  Christian 
church"  and  assume  the  title  of  Board  of  Popular  Instruction. 

All  this  happened  a  little  more  than  twelve  months  ago. 
An  eventful  year  has  passed.  Many  changes  have  been 
wrought,  the  most  of  which  were  not  anticipated  or  expected 
by  the  doctor.  One  of  the  changes  was  in  the  doctor  himself. 
He  had  lost  that  effeminate,  clerical,  scholarly  look,  and  in  its 
place  he  had  acquired  a  virile,  sun-burned,  muscular  appear- 
ance. In  place  of  the  affected  smile,  and  the  over-anxious 
effort  to  be  pleasant,  of  other  days,  was  a  frank,  straightforward 
look  of  honest  interest  and  sympathy.  All  this  had  been 
brought  about  unconsciously  by  his  daily  contact  with  the 
world  of  real  facts. 

Although  it  was  Monday  morning  it  was  not  a  blue  Mon- 
day, as  it  used  to  be  in  the  old  days  of  his  sermon  making. 
His  Sundays,  nowadays,  were  indeed  days  of  rest,  days  of 
sweet  communion  and  quiet  intercourse.  After  making  his 
Sunday  morning  report  of  his  week's  experiences,  which  was 
entirely  extemporaneous,  he  was  free  to  spend  the  rest  of  the 
day  at  home,  .at  the  parks,  or  at  some  place  of  popular 
amusement,  as  he  chose.  Thus  it  was  that  Monday  morning 
found  him  fresh  and  vigorous,  ready  for  another  week's  inves- 
tigation and  service. 

He  had  finished  reading  the  letters  brought  by  the  morn- 
ing mail,  and  was  about  to  leave  his  office,  when  he  was  de- 
tained by  a  visit  from  the  same  committee  that  had  visited 
him  in  this  same  place  over  a  year  ago.  A  spectator  to  both 
of  these  visits  must  have  been  struck  with  the  change  in  them, 
as  well  as  the'  doctor.  The  off-hand,  hearty,  familiar  greetings 
were  in  strange  contrast  to  the  obsequious,  differential,  stilted 
manner  of  the  committee  one  year  ago. 

Between  these  men  there  had  sprung  up  a  comradeship,  a 
real,  honest  human  friendship,  the  fruits  of  a  year's  close  part- 
nership in  hard,  practical  work  that  commended  itself  not 


240  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES, 

to  their  hearts  but  to  their  heads  as  well.  No  one  would  have 
suspected  any  of  them  of  being  pious.  Their  manner  and 
talk  was  like  men  who  were  on  terms  of  absolute  equality  and 
had  some  real  business  to  perform,  of  which  they  were  neither 
ashamed  nor  proud. 

"  Before  we  begin  the  business  that  brought  us  here  this 
morning,"  said  the  spokesman  of  the  committee,  u  we  wish  to 
congratulate  you,  doctor,  on  the  services  in  our  church  last 
evening.  Never,  in  the  history  of  the  church,  has  there  be'en 
such  an  impressive  service,  in  the  presence  of  such  a  large 
and  varied  audience.  It  is  simply  gratifying  and  surpris- 
ing beyond  words.  The  change  that  has  been  coming  over 
our  whole  work  is  something  that  has  been  as  unexpected  as 
it  is  inspiring.  When  you  first  proposed  to  introduce  the 
amateur  drama  into  our  church  I  am  free  to  confess  that  I  was 
somewhat  shocked  and  puzzled,  but  the  outcome  fully  justifies 
your  judgment  and  sagacity.  When  I  saw  the  drama  last 
evening,  in  which  the  ancient  Prophet  Jeremiah  and  his  mis- 
sion to  the  generation  in  which  he  lived  was  brought  out  with 
such  startling  reality  and  force,  it  seemed  to  me  I  never  heard 
a  sermon  before;  and  when  I  looked  around  upon  the  vast 
audience  of  new  faces,  and  saw  on  the  stage  the  earnestness 
and  dramatic  ability  of  the  young  people  who  presented  the 
play,  I  could  scarcely  keep  from  shouting  l  Hallelujah!'  as  the 
old  evangelical  revivalists  used  to." 

"  Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  I  do  not  think  you  ought  to 
give  me  credit  for  all  this,  or  even  a  small  portion  of  it.  I  had 
no  idea,  when  I  resigned  as  pastor  of  your  church,  what  our 
work  was  coming  to.  I  simply  was  forced  by  my  conscience 
to  take  the  step  that  I  took  then.  I  had  no  idea  where  it 
would  lead  to.  I  supposed,  of  course,  that  it  would  lead  to 
the  abandonment  of  our  church  work  and  to  my  own  obscurity. 
But  little  by  little  this  thing  has  forced  itself  upon  us  and  we 
have  under  our  charge  today  a  church  work  one  hundred 
times  larger  than  it  would  have  been  had  I  continued  in  my 


DR.    TALKWELL'S     SECULAR    CHURCH.  241 

old  way.  The  people  flock  to  our  church  in  large  numbers, 
people  who  could  not  have  been  persuaded  on  any  pretext  to 
have  attended  our  church  before.  And  then  the  people  who 
are  earnestly  at  work  could  not  have  been  induced  to  take  up 
any  sort  of  church  work  before.  This  came  to  me  as  unex- 
pectedly as  it  did  to  you." 

"  But,"  spoke  up  one  of  the  committee,  u  the  peculiar 
feature  of  the  work  that  surprises  me  is  this,  the  religious 
fervor  of  it  all.  It  struck  me  at  first  that  whatever  success 
might  attend  our  departure  from  the  ordinary  methods  of 
church  work,  at  least  we  would  be  likely  to  lose  the  religious 
spirit,  but  not  so.  Our  church  work,  as  it  is  now,  divided  into 
three  departments,  the  department  which  consists  of  your 
reports ;  the  musical  department,  in  charge  of  a  musical  di- 
rector, and  the  dramatic  department,  in  charge  of  a  dramatic 
director — all  seem  to  be  inspired  by  a  real,  genuine  religious 
fervor.  Never  have  I  attended  better  meetings  than  have 
been  given  under  the  musical  department,  in  their  sacred 
oratorios,  operettas  and  popular  concerts. 

uAnd  the  same  is  true  of  the  sacred  dramas  that  have  been 
presented  from  time  to  time.  And  as  for  your  Sunday  morn- 
ing reports,  no  more  solemn,  intensely  religious  meetings  have 
I  ever  attended  than  some  of  these  reports  have  produced,  and 
it  is  all  so  unexpected,  so  unintentional.  It  seems  as  if  the 
occasion  itself  furnished  the  religious  zeal  and  devotional 
spirit,  without  any  wish  or  premeditation  on  the  part  of 
anyone." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  doctor,  u  I  have  noticed  all  that,  and 
I  assure  you,  brethren,  that  I  am  profoundly  grateful  to  God 
for  the  way  in  which  His  spirit  has  led  us  in  this  work.  The 
first  few  feeble  steps  I  took'  in  this  direction  I  had  very  little 
faith.  I  was  concerned  not  only  for  the  welfare  of  myself  and 
family,  but  for  the  future  prospects  of  the  church.  But  I 
could  not  do  otherwise.  My  conscience  would  not  allow  me 
any  longer  to  pose  as  a  Christian  minister,  while  all  the  time 


242  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

I  was  nothing  in  the  world  but  a  well  paid,  well  kept  gentle- 
man of  fastidious  tastes  and  luxurious  habits.  Why,  brethren, 
I  would  not  exchange  one  day  of  my  present  religious  faith 
and  happiness  for  all  of  the  make-believe,  sermon  writing  and 
book-reading  religion  that  could  be  crowded  into  a  year's  ex- 
perience. I  have  tried  both,  I  know  exactly  what  they  are." 

u  And  then,"  spoke  up  another  member  of  the  committee, 
u  consider  that  we  have  been  trying  for  years  to  get  certain  of 
the  young  people  interested  in  our  work,  and  how  impossible 
it  seemed  to  be,  and  even  those  few  who  did  come,  there 
seemed  to  be  nothing  for  them  to  do.  It  was  perfectly 
pathetic  to  attend  one  of  their  so-called  young  people's 
meetings,  and  hear  them  try  their  best  to  talk  about  nothing, 
try  their  best  to  have  a  meeting  when  there  was  no  rational 
reason  for  their  having  one.  But  now  the  enthusiasm,  the 
multitudes,  the  fervor,  the  activity,  the  exuberance  of  the 
young  people's  work  connected  with  this  church  !  Why,  our 
church  is  the  busiest  place  in  this  city.  Scarcely  a  day  or 
evening  passes  in  which  there  is  not  something  well  worth 
anybody's  time  to  attend,  and  it  is  not  simply  young  people's 
work,  either.  Old  people,  middle-aged  people,  as  well,  find 
something  to  inspire,  interest  and  console." 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  all  you  say  is  true,  but  we 
should  carefully  guard  against  ascribing  the  paternity  of  our 
success  to  any  individual.  We,  none  of  us.  foresaw  or  con- 
trived it.  It  is  simply  this,  we  have  followed  the  leading  of 
the  Spirit.  It  has  led  us  into  a  larger  work  than  we  knew  of. 
There  is  a  still  larger  work  for  us.  If  our  success  has  only 
confirmed  our  faith  in  the  leading  of  the  Spirit,  so  that  we 
shall  be  willing  to  go  wherever  it  leads,  then  indeed,  our  suc- 
cess will  be  valuable  to  us.  But  as  you  came  in  you  spoke  of 
some  business  that  you  wished  to  transact  this  morning.  To 
what  did  you  refer  ?  " 

"  It  was  about  that  saloon  affair  that  we  wished  to  consult 


DR.    TALKWELL'S    SECULAR    CHURCH. 


243 


you.  You  know  it  was  mentioned  some  time  ago  that  if  we 
could  open,  in  some  favorable  locality  in  the  city,  a  place  re- 
sembling a  saloon,  and  provide  it  with  attractive  features 
somewhat  similar  to  a  saloon,  that  it  might  lead  to  a  good 
work.  We  have  been  talking  the  matter  over,  and  investigat- 
ing other  enterprises  along  this  line,  and  we  have  reached  the 
conclusion  that  such  a  thing  might  be  made  to  work.  We 
thought  we  would  consult  you  about  it  this  morning." 


THE  CHURCH   AND  THE  SALOON. 


The  Proposed  "  Church  Saloon  "  as  Viewed  by  Dr.  Talkwell. 


?E  LEFT  Dr.  Talkwell  last  week  in  his  study  in 
consultation  with!  his  executive  committee.  The 
committee  had  been  congratulating  him  on  the 
great  revival  of  religious  interest  that  had  been 
awakened  in  the  church  during  the  past  year  as  the  result  of 
its  radical  departure  from  ordinary  church  work.  When  we 
interrupted  their  conversation  the  committee  had  just  reached 
the  subject  of  their  business,  which  related  to  the  establish- 
ment of  a  saloon  under  the  auspices  of  Dr.  Talkwell's  church. 
The  committee  went  on  to  say : 

"  The  lamentable  failure  which  has  followed  all  attempts 
to  interest  the  floating  population  in  any  enterprise  which  the 
church  has  undertaken  is  too  well  known  to  need  comment. 
The  idea  of  establishing  a  saloon,  or  a  place  somewhat  resem- 
bling a  saloon,  furnishing  the  good  features  of  the  saloon  with 
an  attempt  to  eliminate  its  harmful  features,  has  been  talked 
of  in  our  society  for  some  time,  and  it  is  our  wish,  this  morn- 
ing, if  possible,  to  settle  on  some  definite  plan  of  procedure. 
Have  you  given  this  subject  any  thought? " 

u  Yes,"  replied  the  doctor.  u  I  have  thought  a  good  deal 
about  it,  and  my  thinking  on  this,  as  well  as  most  other  prac- 
tical subjects,  has  undergone  a  complete  revolution  since  I 
have  begun  to  come  in  contact  with  the  world.  Of  course  you 
know  the  scheme  to  establish  a  sort  of  church  saloon  is  not  a 
new  one.  It  has  been  tried  over  and  over  again  in  different 
cities." 


THE    CHURCH    AND    THE     SALOON.  245 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  committee,  ;'  the  plan  is  not  an  origi- 
nal one  with  us.  but  we  thought  we  might  profit  by  the  fail- 
ures of  other  attempts,  and  also  by  your  intimate  acquaintance 
with  the  saloon  question.  In  our  dramatic  and  musical 
societies,  to  be  sure,  we  are  reaching  a  large  number  of  young 
men  and  women  which  heretofore  we  were  utterly  unable  to 
reach,  but  there  are  yet  a  multitude  of  young  men  which  we 
shall  never  be  able  to  reach  in  this  way." 

"  Yes,  I  fully  realize  that,"  replied  the  doctor.  "  Every 
Sunday  afternoon,  as  I  go  in  and  out  of  the  first-class  saloons 
located  on  High  street,  I  am  confronted  with  the  fact  that 
these  saloons  gather  a  larger  number  of  young  men  than  all 
the  churches  combined.  Not  bad  young  men,  either.  Bright, 
smart,  intelligent  fellows — who  will  soon  become  the  back- 
bone of  our  commercial  world. 

"  These  places  are  not  altogether  bad,  they  have  some 
very  good  features,  indeed.  Upon  some  of  them  I  have  very 
little  criticism  to  offer,  but  it  does  seem  a  pity  that  these 
places  should  be  so  entirely  cut  off  from  the  influence  of  the 
church. 

I  fully  realize  that  the  church  is  chiefly  to  blame  for  this. 
The  way  the  church  has  proceeded  in  its  treatment  of  the 
saloon,  no  other  result  could  have  been  expected.  For  one 
institution  of  society  to  attempt  to  exterminate  another  insti- 
tution, nothing  but  harm  can  result. 

The  saloon  is  one  of  the  legitimate  institutions  of  modern 
society.  It  has  sprung  up  in  spite  of  ecclesiastical  institutions. 
It  is  a  movement  that  represents  a  human  need,  just  as  surely 
as  the  ecclesiastical  movement.  It  is  here  to  stay,  in  some 
form  or  other.  It  is  simply  fighting  against  Providence  to 
expect  to  banish  it.  The  only  hope  is  to  assist  at  its  evolu- 
tion, its  development.  The  saloon  has  some  features  that  the 
church  will  be  obliged  to  adopt,  in  order  to  succeed  in  getting 
the  multitudes  of  our  very  best  young  men. 

But  of  course  you  know  all  this,  without  my  repeating  it 


246  DR.    TALK  WELL'S     SKETCHES. 

to  you.  Your  business  this  morning,  I  suppose,  is  not  so  much 
to  discuss  the  general  subject  as  to  fix  on  some  definite 
arrangement." 

"  Yes,  that  is  what  we  wish,"  replied  one  of  the  com- 
mittee. u  We  feel  that  we  have  talked  about  this  matter  long 
enough,  and  we  have  about  concluded  to  rent  a  suitable  room 
and  fit  it  up  exactly  like  a  first-class  saloon,  with  billiards  and 
other  attractions,  eliminating  from  the  bar  all  alcoholic  stimu- 
lants, but  offering  everything  else  in  the  way  of  drinks  and 
refreshments.  We  feel  sure  that  such  a  place  would  be  pat- 
ronized by  a  large  number  of  young  men  that  could  not  be 
induced  to  relate  themselves  in  any  way  to  a  church." 

u  Well,"  replied  the  doctor,  "  I  have  no  doubt  that  such  a 
place  would  have  a  patronage,  but  I  have  no  idea  that  it  would 
reach  the  class  you  are  aiming  to  reach.  It  would  come  much 
nearer  to  reaching  them  than  the  Y.  M.  0.  A.  does,  or  the 
mission  work,  but  it  would  hardly  break  into  the  ranks  of  those 
that  most  need  what  the  church  wishes  to  bring. 

Since  I  have  become  acquainted  with  the  saloon  and  the 
class  of  people  who  frequent  these  places,  I  have  reached 
quite  different  conclusions  than  I  used  to  entertain.  If  you 
really  wish  to  assist  in  the  development  of  the  saloon,  so  as  to 
bring  it  into  a  more  useful  function  in  society,  you  must  go 
about  it  in  a  business  way.  If  I  could  persuade  five  good 
business  men  to  become  the  proprietors  of  five  saloons  on  High 
street,  without  advertising  the  fact  that  these  saloons  had 
changed  hands,  we  might  begin  to  do  something. 

Suppose,  for  instance,  any  of  you  gentlemen  should  buy 
out  or  lease  a  well  established  saloon.  Now,  you  would  thus 
be  able  to  control  that  saloon  entirely.  You  could  hire  your 
own  bar  tender,  and  put  behind  the  bar  just  such  a  man  as 
you  wished.  I  would  not  change  the  saloon  in  any  radical 
particular.  I  would  furnish  the  same  drinks  and  the  same 
attractions  that  any  other  first-class  saloon  furnishes. 

But  yet  there  would  be  a  radical  difference.     The  man 


THE    CHURCH    AND    THE    SALOON.  247 

behind  the  bar  must  be  a  clean  man ;  a  man  who  uses  good 
language ;  a  courteous,  business-like  man,  who  will  be  able  to 
command  the  respect  of  every  one  who  enters  his  place.  He 
ought  to  be  a  man  who  understands  human  nature  well  enough 
to  [know  that  sudden,  revolutionary  changes  do  more  harm 
than  good.  Gradually  he  should  introduce  into  his  place 
every  improvement  he  can  without  driving  away  his  cus- 
tomers. 

In  doing  this  he  will  not  find  himself  alone,  for  there  are 
already,  a  great  many  saloon  keepers  in  this  city  doing  this 
very  thing.  But  no  doubt  the  development  of  the  saloon  in 
this  line  would  be  greatly  hastened  if  the  church  would  begin 
to  exert  some  direct  influence  in  the  matter  in  this  way. 

Now,  if  there  are  in  our  congregation  five  men  who  wish 
to  take  up  the  saloon  in  a  business  way,  from  a  purely  business 
standpoint,  and  try  to  make  the  saloon,  as  far  as  possible, 
what  a  saloon  should  be,  I  shall  have  very  strong  faith  that 
the  result  will  be  gratifying. 

"  But  if  we  undertake  to  imitate  and  thus  serve  notice  on 
its  patrons  that  it  is  a  sort  of  a  missionary  scheme,  or  any 
kind  of  a  goody-goody  business,  we  will  utterly  fail  to  reach 
the  class  we  wish  to.  Such  a  place  would,  as  I  said  before, 
command  a  patronage,  and  perhaps  sufficient  patronage  to 
warrant  the  attempt,  bat  it  will  never  reach  the  root  of  the 
matter/' 

"  But,  doctor,  what  will  the  other  churches  say  of  us  if 
we  become  proprietors  of  saloons,  and  our  young  men  become 
bar  tenders?  What  sort  of  repute  will  our  church  get  into  if 
we  embark  in  such  an  undertaking?" 

kk  Well,  if  we  care  a  fig  for  what  the  other  churches  think,, 
then  we  had  better  not  undertake  it.  Unless  we  are  willing 
to  follow  conscience  in  this  matter,  without  any  reference  to 
outside  criticism,  we  had  better  throw  the  whole  matter  up. 
We  have  done  so  in  the  past,  brethren,  why  can  we  not  trust  the 
future  ?  Suppose  we  do  become  of  no  repute  among  the  other 


248  DR.    TALKWEIX'S    SKETCHES. 

churches?  Is  not  this  exactly  what  the  master  had  to  bear? 
Was  he  not  called  a  wine  bibber,  did  he  not  become  a  friend 
of  harlots  ?  Was  he  not  regarded  as  disreputable,  and  a  friend 
of  publicans  and  sinners  ? 

Now,  we  must  not  shrink  from  the  possibility  of  these 
things  happening  to  us  if  we  are  going  to  do  the  work  he 
wished  us  to  do.  If  we  are  going  to  reform  the  saloon,  we 
must  become  legitimate  saloon  keepers  ourselves.  We  must 
get  the  saloon  where  we  can  control  it,  and  little  by  little  we 
must  eradicate  the  objectionable  features  of  the  saloon,  pre- 
serving only  the  social  features,  which  it  so  admirably  pos- 
sesses today. 

There  are  a  large  number  of  men  who  can  take  a  drink  of 
beer,  or  wine,  or  whiskey,  without  doing  them  apparently  any 
harm.  These  men  have  done  so  many  years,  and  have  con- 
tinued to  be  upright,  useful  citizens.  In  fact,  the  bulk  of  our 
best  citizens  do  this  very  thing.  Now,  why  can  we  not  con- 
trol the  places  where  such  men  are  furnished  drinks  ?  I  know 
no  reason  why.  Why  is  it  that  we  should  leave  this  very  im- 
portant function  of  society  for  irresponsible  people  to  supply  ? 

I  know  of  no  good  place  in  this  city  where  a  good  man 
could  actually  accomplish  more  good  than  behind  a  bar.  At 
least,  the  saloon  could  be  made  a  place  where  law  is  respected 
and  obeyed.  It  could  be  closed  on  Sunday  and  at  midnight, 
no  drinks  sold  to  habitual  drunkards,  or  minors,  and  so  on  and 
so  on. 

All  this  could  be  done  without  any  considerable  shock  to 
the  business  of  any  first-class  saloon,  and  I  know  that  a  break 
of  this  kind  would  be  followed  by  many  other  first-class 
saloons.  At  least  one-third  of  the  saloons  in  this  city  would 
be  glad  to  close  on  Sunday,  if  the  custom  could  become  gen- 
eral. And  with  this  beginning  by  the  proprietor  the  gradual 
reformation  and  development  of  the  saloon  could  be  carried 
steadily  on." 

a  Well,  doctor,"  said   the   committee,  u  we   are   ready   to 


THE    CHURCH    AND    THE    SALOON.  249 

follow  you  wherever  you  lead.  Our  experience  in  the  past 
has  given  us  unbounded  confidence  in  the  future.  We  are 
willing  to  become  all  things  to  all  men,  and  we  are  quite  sure 
the  experience  you  have  gathered  in  the  last  year,  by  your 
constant  association  with  these  places,  constitutes  a  much 
more  valuable  guide  than  all  the  colleges  in  the  United  States 
could  have  furnished  us. 

We  believe  in  you  because  you  are  leading  us.  You  are 
going  ahead.  When  you  used  to  stand  in  your  pulpit  and  tell 
us  what  to  do,  without  doing  anything  yourself,  nothing  was 
accomplished.  But  since  you  have  taken  off  your  broad  cloth 
coat  and  kid  gloves  and  gone  to  work  among  the  people,  our 
confidence  in  your  leadership  increases  every  day." 

"  But,"  interposed  the  doctor,  UI  do  not  disapprove  of  the 
plan  of  establishing  an  imitation  saloon,  where  something  like 
a  saloon  is  maintained,  and  yet  no  alcoholic  drinks  are  fur- 
nished. I  have  no  doubt  that  this  place  would  attract  a  great 
many  people  who  do  not  now  go  to  saloons,  and  simply  have 
no  such  place  to  go  to.  I  would,  therefore,  advise  this  move. 

But  I  would  repeat,  if  you  really  want  to  get  at  the  heart 
of  the  matter,  go  to  work  quietly,  buy  a  saloon,  put  a  good 
man  behind  the  bar,  keep  in  constant  touch  with  the  place, 
introduce  changes  as  rapidly  as  the  business  will  allow,  and 
we  will  become  pioneers  in  the  development  of  the  saloon, 
which  hundreds  of  saloons  will  be  glad  to  imitate. 

No  class  of  men  need  a  leader  so  much  today  as  the 
saloon  class.  No  class  of  men  would  be  more  willing  to  fol- 
low the  leader  than  this  very  class.  Many  of  them  are  ashamed 
of  their  business,  and  this  very  shame  keeps  them  from  ming- 
ling with  other  men  as  they  would  like  to.  All  this  hue  and 
cry  about  the  saloon  keeper  and  the  saloons  has  only  made 
them  worse.  We  have  tried  to  put  out  a  fire  by  smothering  it 
with  fuel.  I  tell  you,  brethren,  I  long  to  see  the  day  when  the 
leading  saloons  of  the  city  will  be  conducted  by  men  whose 
characters  are  above  reproach,  and  whose  aim  and  ambition  is 


250  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

to  make  them  all  that  they  ought  to  be.  No  greater  work 
than  this  can  be  imagined. 

But  we  must  expect  as  our  chief  opponents  those  very 
people  who  profess  to  be  followers  of  Jesus.  Of  course  they 
will  object.  It  was  the  church  that  caused  Jesus  to  be  crucified 
when  he  was  on  earth,  and  it  is  the  church  that  would  crucify 
him  again  if  he  came.  Ecclesiasticism  can  never  be  reconciled 
to  Jesus  Christ.  It  has  always  been  his  enemy  and  probably 
always  will  be.  We  must  be  patient  with  these  things,  accept 
them  as  facts,  and  do  the  best  we  can  to  adjust  ourselves  to 
them,  remembering  the  words  of  the  Master  to  pray  for  those 
who  despitefully  use  us,  and  to  turn  the  other  cheek  to  those 
who  smite  us. 

In  the  meantime,  look  about  you,  and  see  if  you  cannot 
find  some  place  to  establish  the  place  you  spoke  of.  I  would 
not  call  such  a  place  a  saloon  at  all,  however.  I  would  call  it 
a  "  coffee  house,"  or  something  like  that.  Let  us  not  pretend 
anything.  Not  even  pretend  to  have  a  saloon.  If  we  go  into 
the  saloon  business,  let  us  go  into  it  really.  All  pretenses  are 
sure  to  fail  sooner  or  later,  and  we  will  only  succeed  in  mak- 
ing ourselves  ridiculous,  and,  in  addition,  fail  to  accomplish 
our  purpose. 

But,  brethren,  if  any  of  you  have  the  courage  to  brave  the 
lion  in  his  den,  I  already  know  of  a  first-class  saloon  that  can 
be  bought  at  a  very  reasonable  figure.  However,  we  will  talk 
this  matter  over  in  the  future.  In  the  meantime,  think  about 
the  subject  and  whatever  we  do  or  do  not  do,  let  us  determine 
to  follow  our  consciences  wherever  they  may  lead." 


A   REVIVAL  OF  CHRISTIANITY. 


I  Was  Sick  and  a  Stranger  and  Ye  Took  Me  Not  In, 


'NASMUCH  as  ye  did  it  not  unto  the  least  of  these,  my 
brethren,  ye  did  it  not  unto  Me."  Since  Dr.  Talkwell 
quit  preaching,  and  began  to  make  a  few  feeble  steps 
in  the  direction  of  following  Jesus,  he  comes  in  con- 
tact with  many  pathetic  scenes.  For  several  years  Dr.  Talk- 
well  has  been  a  constant  visitor  at  the  city  prison,  and  has 
taken  the  pains  to  uncover  the  facts  of  many  a  true  story ; 
stories  that  read  more  like  novels  than  the  naked  facts  of 
every  day  occurrences.  Last  Sunday  morning  Dr.  Talkwell 
told  one  of  these  stories  at  the  close  of  his  regular  report. 
The  incident  occurred  two  or  three  years  ago,  but  it  is  the 
same  in  kind  as  has  been  occuring  ever  since.  The  title  of  the 
doctor's  story  was,  "The  Last  Days  of  Chris  Bergmann." 
He  lay  curled  up  in  the  corner  of  an  empty  freight-car* 
stupid  with  broken  sleep,  stiff  with  cold,  a  sooty,  ragged,  ach- 
ing fellow,  when  he  was  discovered  by  an  angry  brakeman. 
He  was  hustled  off  as  fast  as  creaking  joints  and  unsteady 
nerves  would  allow.  He  tried  to  pull  himself  together  a  little 
on  the  sunny  side  of  a  dingy  warehouse,  but  it  was  a  cold  day; 
he  wasn't  well.  If  he  had  been  a  well-to  do  man,  he  would 
probably  have  consulted  a  doctor  and  been  told  he  was  threat- 
ened with  pneumonia.  But  he  wasn't  a  well-to-do  man.  He 
was  only  a  tramp.  It  mattered  little  to  him  whether  he  had 
pneumonia  or  not. 


252  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

He  smells  coffee  somewhere.  He  tries  to  locate  it.  He 
sees  a  frizzly  girl  emptying  some  ashes.  He  guesses  she 
knows  where  the  coffee  is.  He  asks  her  for  some  breakfast. 
She  tells  him  to  be  off,  calh  him  harsh  names,  talks  loudly. 
A  policeman  hears  the  row,  and  with  free  use  of  the  mace  and 
the  assistance  of  the  patrol,  he  succeeds  (with  great  credit  to 
himself)  in  landing  his  man  in  a  damp,  unventilated  cell  of 
our  city  prison.  He  is  slated  as  a  dangerous  character  and  re- 
sisting the  police. 

At  the  turnkey's  office  he  was  searched,  as  is  the  custom. 
Nothing  was  found,  however,  save  a  few  cigar  stubs  and  a 
greasy,  old  remnant  of  a  German  Testament,  which  was  taken 
away  from  him.  He  was  tired;  he  was  hungry.  He  had  not 
slept  well.  Rigors  were  creeping  up  and  down  his  back. 
Strange  ringing  sounds  were  in  his  head,  and  he  felt  a  deathly 
faintness  of  the  stomach.  The  sounds  grow  louder.  He 
tumbles  down  on  the  iron  slatted  cot;  the  grates  of  his  cell 
grow  dim.  He  loses  consciousness.  If  he  had  been  a  well-to- 
do  man  the  doctor  would  have  called  it  a  swoon ;  but  he  was 
only  a  tramp.  No  one  cared  to  call  it  anything. 

When  he  came  to  consciousness  he  had  a  raging  thirst. 
He  tried  to  sit  up  several  times  before  he  was  able  to  do  so, 
because  of  a  curious  dizziness  in  the  head.  He  called  for 
water.  No  one  heard.  He  called  again,  louder.  One  of  his 
fellow  prisoners  in  the  next  cell  told  him  the  water  had  just 
been  passed.  He'd  get  no  water  now  for  an  hour.  So  he  lay 
still.  He  was  trying  to  think  where  he  was.  He  felt  for  the 
greasy  Testament.  It  was  not  there.  Had  it  been  there  in 
its  old  place — for  he  had  carried  it  a  long  time — he  would 
have  thought  no  more  about  it,  for  he  did  not  want  to  read  it ; 
he  only  wanted  to  know  if  it  was  there. 

It  was  the  only  thing  left  that  connected  him  with  that- 
life  which  was  his  before  he  became  a  tramp.  His  mother 
gave  him  the  book  when  he  was  young  and  strong  and  happy. 
He  had  carried  it  ever  since.  It  was  to  him  a  fetish,  a  mascot. 


A    REVIVAL    OF    CHRLSTTANITY.  253 

Now  that  he  had  lost  it,  as  he  believed,  he  began  to  think 
about  the  other  days.  He  was  too  tired  to  think  much.  Vague 
remembrances  of  a  squalid  boyhood,  a  dingy  home,  a  drunken 
father,  a  haggard,  fretful  mother,  of  leaving  home  when  a  boy, 
a  sea  voyage,  his  return,  where  no  trace  of  his  former  home 
could  be  found,  his  wanderings,  fully  expecting  to  some  day 
find  his  mother,  his  gradual  adjustment  to  the  life  of  a  tramp, 
his  frequent  imprisonments  for  vagrancy,  passed  hazily 
through  his  mind. 

The  last  thing  he  distinctly  remembers  is  being  hustled 
out  of  the  freight  car  a  few  hours  before.  He  cannot  remem- 
ber where  he  is.  He  only  knows  he  is  imprison.  What  prison 
and  for  what  offense  he  does  not  know.  Luckily  he  does  not 
care.  The  keeper  puts  a  chunk  of  bread  in  the  iron  box 
attached  to  his  cell.  He  asks  for  water,  but  he  gets  no  reply 
nor  water.  He  tries  to  eat  the  bread,  and  bites  off  a  huge 
chunk,  but  his  mouth  is  dry  and  parched  and  he  cannot 
swallow  it.  The  longer  he  chews  the  thicker  it  gets.  He 
would  like  to  have  a  drink,  but  no  one  will  give  him  water. 

He  puts  the  bread  on  his  cot,  and  lays  his  head  upon  it, 
wearily,  and  soon  passes  into  a  troubled  sleep.  He  is  rudely 
awakened  next  morning  by  the  turnkey  and  is  bundled  into 
the  Police  court  before  the  judge.  He  has  a  high  fever,  a 
thirst  and  a  blinding  headache.  He  is  as  a  lamb,  dumb  be- 
fore his  shearers.  He  dimly  comprehends  what  is  going  on 
about  him.  He  neither  asserts  nor  denies  he  only  mutters 
unintelligible  words  when  they  speak  to  him.  He  knows  not, 
he  cares  not  what  they  will  do  with  him.  He  is  conscious 
only  that  he  wants  water  and  wants  to  lie  down  again.  He 
gets  ten  days  and  costs.  He  is  led  away  and  put  into  a  differ- 
ent cell.  His  coat  was  left  in  the  other  cell.  He  asks  for  it. 
No  one  pays  attention.  He  asks  for  water  again. 

A  fellow  prisoner  who  is  allowed  in  the  corridor  hears 
him  and  gets  him  some.  He  drinks  long  and  eagerly.  He 
sleeps  all  day  and  all  night.  Two  chunks  of  bread  lie  un- 


251  DR.    TALK\VEIvL'S    SKETCHES. 

heeded  in  the  iron  box  next  morning.  He  is  in  a  muttering 
delirium  now.  He  talks  in  poor  German  and  worse  English, 
no  one  understands,  no  one  cares.  All  day  he  talks  on,  some- 
times asking  for  water.  Sometimes  he  imagines  he  is  talking 
to  his  mother.  Towards  night  his  condition  is  discovered.  It 
is  too  late  to  get  the  doctor  tonight.  He  talks  on  more  and 
more  feebly  and  indistinctly  all  night.  Prisoners  give  him 
sips  of  water,  but  he  does  not  seem  to  care  any  longer. 

The  doctor  comes  in  and  orders  him  taken  to  the  hospital. 
He  lives  nearly  twenty-four  hours  after  he  reaches  the  hos- 
pital. His  body  is  turned  over  to  the  city  and  is  soon  stretched 
on  the  cold  dissecting  table  of  a  medical  college.  There  it  lies 
in  the  glare  of  electric  lights — that  poor,  tired  body,  yielding 
up  the  secrets  of  its  wonderful  mechanism  to  jesting,  careless 
students,  who  see  in  the  corpse  before  them  only  the  means  of 
reaching  the  profession  which  shall  give  them  fame  and  wealth. 
His  work  is  done,  and  let  us  hope  that  his  last  work,  at  least, 
has  rendered  a  service  to  humanity  which  has  been  appreciated. 

In  all  his  dull,  degraded,  but  gentle  life,  he  has  never 
heard  a  word  of  praise.  He  has  left  us  all  he  had — his  ana- 
tomy. Let  us  praise  him  now.  He  made  a  splendid  patho- 
logical specimen ;  lobar  pneumonia,  both  lungs,  first  stage, 
infiltration  complete.  Fortunately  exhaustion  set  in  to  hasten 
termination,  furnishing  a  rare  exhibit.  Splendid  case,  good 
fellow  at  last ! 

While  these  pathetic  scenes  were  occurring  several  of  our 
city  churches  were  holding  enthusiastic  revival  services. 
Professed  followers  of  Jesus  were  added  to  the  churches  by 
the  score.  These  comfortable,  well-housed,  well-clothed,  well- 
fed  people  who  never  spent  an  hour  in  the  city  prison  in  their 
lives,  met  in  large  congregations,  to  sing  hymns  about  follow- 
ing Jesus ;  about  giving  up  the  world  to  walk  in  the  foot- 
steps of  their  Master.  Not  one  ot  them  ever  thought  of  con- 
necting the  work  of  the  Master  with  prisons  or  hospitals  or  the 
hungry,  or  those  that  are  naked.  Nothing  of  the  sort. 


A    REVIVAL    OF    CHRISTIANITY.  255 

These  people  think  they  are  following  Jesus  when  they  go 
to  their  churches  to  sing  and  pray,  and  tell  each  other  how 
bad  they  have  been  and  how  good  they  are  going  to  be.  I 
used  to  be  pastor  of  this  sort  of  a  church,  of  which  I  am 
heartily  ashamed.  The  pathetic  incident  which  I  narrated  has 
been  repeated  in  this  city  many  times,  and  yet  those  people 
who  call  themselves  followers  of  Jesus  are  as  unconscious  of 
the  fact,  as  if  these  scenes  were  in  central  Africa  instead  of 
being  at  their  very  door.  I  find  such  things  every  day,  now 
that  I  have  quit  preaching  and  gone  to  practicing.  Every 
preacher  in  this  city  ought  to  be  leading  his  congregation  in 
this  sort  of  work.  Nowhere  on  this  wide  earth  is  there  more 
need  of  Christian  teaching  than  in  our  churches,  and  yet  these 
are  the  people  who  are  raising  money  to  send  missionaries  to 
foreign  countries  in  order  to  instruct  them  in  the  teachings  of 
Jesus. 


THE  IRREVERENCE  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS. 


"  Let  All  Things  Be  Done  Decently,  and  in  Order. 


PORTION  of  Dr.  Talkwell's  work  in  this  city  is  to 
visit  the  various  institutions,  where  he  gathers  in- 
formation which  constitutes  his  Sunday  morning 
reports  to  his  congregation.  Lately  Dr.  Talkwell 
has  been  visiting  the  churches,  Sunday  schools  and  young 
people's  church  societies  in  various  parts  of  the  city.  During 
Dr.  Talkwell's  report  last  Sunday,  he  said : 

Before  I  close  this  report  I  wish  to  say  a  few  things  about 
the  deportment  which  I  have  noticed  in  the  Sunday  schools. 
While  I  was  pastor  of  a  church  myself  I  had  no  time  to  visit 
other  churches.  I  had  no  idea  what  the  condition  of  other 
churches  was,  except  what  I  learned  from  the  printed  reports 
of  their  finances,  etc.  I  had  a  vague  idea  that  some  of  the 
vexatious  details  connected  with  my  own  Sunday  school  were 
not  true  of  other  Sunday  schools.  I  partly  blamed  myself  for 
it,  and  bewailed  the  fact  that  I  had  not  the  tact  and  natural 
qualifications  to  make  it  all  that  it  ought  to  be. 

In  my  own  Sunday  school  I  noticed  with  pain  and  disap- 
pointment a  great  deal  of  irreverence,  among  the  boys  and 
girls  alike,  especially  the  older  ones.  I  was  shocked  beyond 
measure  to  discover  that  boys  and  girls  brought  up  in  the  Sun- 
day school  could  treat  subjects  which  I  had  always  considered 
sacred,  with  such  levity,  laughing  and  whispering  during 
prayer,  making  doggerels  on  the  hymns  used,  tearing  up  the 
lesson  leaves  and  using  them  as  paper  wads,  and  other  dese- 
crations too  numerous  to  mention.  It  seemed  to  me  that  we 


THE  IRREVERENCE  OF  SUNDAY  SCHOOLS.         '253 

were  doing  our  children  infinite  harm  by  bringing  them  to- 
gether under  conditions  which  allowed  them  to  convert  rever- 
ent worship  into  fun  and  frolic. 

But  on  visiting  other  Sunday  schools  lately  I  find  that 
my  own  Sunday  school  was  a  little  more  than  up  to  the  aver- 
age. I  certainly  believe  that  no  well-bred  person  could 
tolerate  the  conduct  which  the  average  Sunday  school  teacher 
is  obliged  so  see  Sunday  after  Sunday,  except  they  had  become 
used  to  it  gradually.  No  such  conduct  would  be  tolerated  for 
a  moment  in  our  secular  schools,  nor  would  it  be  allowed  in 
our  homes,  or  theatres,  or  in  any  other  public  place  that  I 
know  of.  The  inattention,  the  irreverence,  the  ill-mannered 
behavior,  is  simply  shocking  to  an  attentive  visitor,  and  would 
not  be  endured  for  a  moment  by  a  Sunday  school  teacher  if 
she  or  he  were  to  meet  the  same  scholars  in  any  other  place 
except  the  Sunday  school. 

Little  by  little  the  Sunday  school  teacher  has  grown  ac- 
customed to  such  behavior  in  the  Sunday  school,  until  at  last, 
he  takes  it  as  a  matter  of  course.  Over  and  over  again  have  I 
seen  a  modest,  refined  young  lady  making  a  vain  endeavor  to 
interest  a  class  of  impertinent,  saucy  boys  in  some  Sunday 
school  lesson.  I  have  seen  her  go  on  ignoring  their  uncouth 
behaviour,  apparently  not  noticing  their  contempt  for  her  and 
her  teachings,  until  my  fingers  have  itched  to  take  them  one 
by  one  and  fling  them  out  of  the  nearest  window.  I  had  much 
rather  my  children  would  be  in  a  respectable  theatre,  listen- 
ing to  a  decent  play,  where  pathos  and  humor  are  depicted  by 
trained  artists,  than  to  have  them  take  part,  either  as  teacher 
or  scholar,  in  any  such  farce  as  this. 

One  day  I  was  asked  to  take  charge  of  a  class  of  young 
ladies  in  one  of  these  Sunday  schools.  Something  happened 
just  before  the  lesson  began  which  caused  the  young  ladies  to 
laugh.  I  waited  a  while  for  them  to  leave  off  laughing,  and 
finally  we  began  to  read  the  lesson  together.  But  the  laugh- 
ing occurred  at  intervals,  and  constantly  interrupted  the 


358  DK.    TALKWELIAS     SKETCHES. 

reading  of  the  lesson.  I  finally  stopped  and  asked  them  if 
they  would  not  tell  me  what  they  were  laughing  about,  so  that 
I  might  laugh  with  them.  Their  blushes  soon  convinced  me 
that  it  was  something  which  ordinary  modesty  would  not 
allow  them  to  repeat,  and  so  I  went  on  with  the  lesson,  but 
the  laughing  continued  by  spells  during  the  whole  of  the 
hour. 

And  what  was  the  lesson  about,  do  you  ask  ?  About  the 
crucifixion  of  Jesus  Christ.  The  lesson  was  about  that  most 
pathetic  scene  in  the  last  days  of  our  master.  I  surely  believe 
that  if  1  could  have  introduced  into  that  school  room  a  heathen 
who  had  never  heard  of  the  gospel  and  could  have  made  him 
understand  what  the  lesson  was  about.  I  could  have  stirred 
his  heart  with  pitv  and  reverence  with  the  story  of  the  awful 
agony  of  the  gentle  Nazarene  on  Calvary. 

But  these  young  ladies,  brought  up  in  a  Sunday  school, 
reared,  I  suppose  in  Christian  households,  at  no  time  during 
the  lesson  evinced  the  slightest  interest  or  respect  for  this 
touching  picture  of  the  crucifixion.  In  any  other  place,  upon 
any  other  subject,  these  interesting  young  ladies  would  have 
been  tender,  respectful  and  intelligent.  I  cannot  believe  that 
they  could  bring  themselves  to  treat  the  sufferings  of  any 
other  person  as  they  did  the  sufferings  of  Jesus,  whom  they 
profess  to  follow. 

This  is  the  work  of  the  Sunday  school.  To  them  the  Sun- 
day school  had  been  a  school  of  irreverence  that  had  gradually 
hardened  their  hearts  to  the  pathetic  scenes  of  Christ's  life. 
It  had  gradually  accustomed  their  minds  to  the  horrible  inci- 
dents which  occurred  during  the  persecutions  and  trials  of 
Jesus.  Little  by  little  they  had  become  calloused  until  they 
had  reached  that  hardness  of  heart  in  which  the  agony  of  the 
cross,  the  solemn  and  awful  phenomena  of  the  crucifixion  had 
become  to  them  matters  of  jest  and  merriment. 

The  parochial  school  is  far  ahead  of  the  Sunday  school  in 
the  particulars  of  reverence  and  decorum.  In  these  schools 


THE    IRREVERENCE    OF    SUNDAY    SCHOOLS.  259 

religious  instruction  is  given  the  same  as  other  instruction. 
The  same  order,  the  same  studious  attention  and  discipline  is 
required.  This  is  exactly  as  it  should  be.  The  idea  of  herd- 
ing together  a  drove  of  children  without  the  proper  authority 
or  means  to  maintain  order  and  then  pretend  to  give  them 
religious  instruction  is  not  only  a  farce,  but  is  positively  sacre- 
ligious.  Piety  and  paper  wads,  prayer  and  caterwauls,  scrip- 
tural quotations  and  hair  pulling,  are  all  mixed  up  together 
in  the  average  Sunday  school,  and  I  wish  to  put  myself  on 
record  as  saying  that  such  things  are  not  only  ridiculous  in  the 
extreme  but  are  doing  far  more  harm  to  the  cause  of  religion 
than  skepticism  and  so-called  infidelity  ever  did  or  can  do. 

I  was  in  a  barroom  the  other  day.  the  resort  of  Italians 
and  colored  people.  The  keeper  of  this  place  does  not  allow 
the  slightest  disorder.  I  saw  him  correct  a  man  who  was  sit- 
ting in  one  chair  with  his  foot  in  another  chair.  The  man  was 
a  stranger  to  the  place  or  he  would  not  have  presumed  to 
doit. 

But  in  the  Sunday  school  I  have  seen  this  thing  done  over 
and  over  again  without  exciting  any  attention  whatever  from 
superintendent  or  teacher.  I  am  sorry  to  be  obliged  to  say 
these  things,  but  they  are  solemnly  true.  Our  Sunday  schools 
have  much  to  learn  of  the  parochial  in  these  particulars,  and 
I  hope  secular  prejudice  and  ecclesiastical  hostilities  will  be 
laid  aside  long  enough  for  us  to  do  so.  As  for  myself  1  have 
given  up  the  pretense  entirely  of  having  a  Sunday  school ; 
I  do  not  desecrate  Sunday  any  longer  in  this  particular. 

At  the  same  hour  and  in  the  same  place  that  we  used  to 
hold  Sunday  school  there  is  an  illustrated  lecture  given  for 
the  children  and  young  people  of  our  church.  The  infant 
department,  under  the  charge  of  a  kindergarten  teacher,  con- 
tinues much  as  before,  with  the  exception  that  no  attempt  is 
made  to  teach  them  the  miraculous  stories  of  the  Bible.  Such 
stories  to  the  immature  mind  do  an  injury  very  difficult  to 


260  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

overcome  in  after  years.  Two  or  three  classes  of  adults  for 
the  critical  study  of  the  Bible  and  church  history  continue  to 
do  the  same  excellent  work  of  former  years.  But  in  all  other 
respects  we  have  abandoned  what  we  used  to  call  our  Sunday 
school,  and  I  sincere^  pray  that  God  will  forgive  us  for  the 
mischief  that  we  were  unconsciously  doing  our  children  all 
these  years,  and  assist  us  in  our  determination  to  do  so  no 
more. 


LOTTERIES. 


How  They   Are  Exterminated, 


;T  THE  close  of  Dr.  Talkwell's  report  last  Sunday 
morning,  he  said :  There  is  an  adage  I  have  fre- 
quently heard,  that  "  Where  ignorance  is  bliss  it  is 
folly  to  be  wise."  I  do  not  know  where  this  adage 
can  be  better  applied  than  to  the  average  reformer.  The 
ignorance  of  this  class  of  people  is  only  equalled  by  their 
never-ceasing  activity.  Let  me  cite  you  a  case  in  point. 

I  received  a  letter  from  a  clergyman  the  other  day,  which 
is,  in  the  main,  a  criticism  on  some  things  I  have  said  about 
the  saloon,  and  produces  some  arguments  to  which  I  wish  to 
call  your  attention. 

I  am  criticised  for  not  being  willing  to  join  a  crusade  of 
extermination  against  the  saloon.  My  position  is,  first,  that 
the  saloon  cannot  be  exterminated,  even  if  we  wish  to;  and, 
second,  that  it  ought  not  to  be  exterminated.  Both  of  these 
positions  are  criticised  in  the  letter  referred  to. 

The  writer  goes  on  to  say  that  he  believes  the  saloon  can 
be  exterminated  and  refers  me  to  the  fact  that  the  Louisiana 
lottery  was  exterminated,  and  has  become  one  of  the  things 
of  the  past ;  that  this  extermination  was  brought  about  by  the 
churches ;  that  the  crusade  against  the  Louisiana  lottery  was 
in  every  particular,  similar  to  the  crusade  against  the  saloon ; 
that  the  Louisiana  lottery  is  no  more. 

,     Now,  this  argument  is  a  good  illustration  of  the  ignorance 
of  this   class  of  people.     The  writer   appears   to  be   utterly 


262  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

unconscious  of  the  fact  that  the  Louisiana  lottery  was  never  in 
so  flourishing  a  condition  as  it  is  today. 

What  was  the  effect  of  the  crusade  against  this  lottery  ? 
It  had  this  effect,  simply :  It  drove  them  out  of  the  state  of 
Louisiana  into  one  of  the  South  American  republics,  near  our 
coast,  Honduras,  where  today  it  has  its  headquarters.  The 
general  agent  in  the  United  States  is  located  in  Florida. 
Never  were  there  so  many  tickets  sold  as  today.  Their  busi- 
ness, being  shut  out  of  the  mails,  is  conducted  through  the 
express  companies,  and  is,  in  every  way,  strengthened  by  the 
change. 

I  have  been  acquainted  with  one  of  the  agents  in  this 
city  for  several  years,  which  has  afforded  me  an  opportunity 
to  know  of  the  gradual  increase  in  their  business.  There  are 
five  agents  of  the  Louisiana  lottery  in  this  city  today,  all  of 
whom  are  doing  a  flourishing  business.  The  agent  with  whom 
I  am  acquainted  sold  one  month,  500  dollars"  worth  of  these 
tickets,  and,  according  to  his  statement,  the  other  agents  are 
doing  as  much,  if  not  more,  business  than  he  is  doing. 

Men  in  all  walks  of  life  are  buying  these  tickets.  Two 
brothers  I  know  in  this  city  are  running  a  grocery  established 
with  the  money  received  as  a  prize  from  this  lottery.  Another 
instance  is  of  a  business  man  who  was  about  to  make  an  assign- 
ment, and  was  saved  from  failure  by  the  accident  of  receiving 
a  prize  from  this  lottery. 

Now,  I  am  not  saying  these  things  in  defense  of  the  lot- 
tery, or  with  any  wish  to  apologize  for  this  sort  of  business. 
I  am  only  saying  them  to  show  how  ignorant  some  people  are 
concerning  the  facts  of  society.  I  have  no  doubt  there  are  a 
great  many  men  in  this  city  who  believe  that  the  Louisiana 
lottery  was  exterminated,  while  the  efforts  to  exterminate  it 
have  only  strengthened  it  and  driven  the  revenues,  which  the 
state  of  Louisiana  ought  to  receive,  out  of  the  country.  We 
still  have  the  lottery,  minus  the  revenue  it  used  to  pay  us. 
Instead  of  the  money  being  collected  and  redistributed  in 


LOTTERIES.  263 

this  country  alone,  it  is  collected,  taken  out  of  the  country, 
and  distributed  all  over  the  world.  In  other  words,  all  that 
has  been  done  is  to  make  matters  worse. 

As  long  as  people  wish  to  do  these  things  they  will  con- 
tinue to  do  them ;  and  all  that  can  be  accomplished  by 
reformers  in  this  line  is  to  drive  them  into  greater  obscurity. 
The  more  mystery  that  surrounds  any  such  enterprise  the  better 
it  succeeds.  The  fact  that  this  lottery  is  obliged  to  use  the  ex- 
press companies,  instead  of  the  mails,  throws  a  sort  of  glamour 
over  the  whole  affair  that  is  very  attractive  to  the  class  of 
people  who  patronize  such  things.  The  further  fact  that  it  is 
located  in  Honduras,  instead  of  Louisiana,  gives  it  a  more 
romantic  air,  which  is  a  great  help  to  business. 

Now,  this  is  the  kind  of  thing  that  happens  when  an 
attempt  is  made  to  up  root  any  institution  of  modern  society. 
It  reminds  me  of  a  farmer  I  knew  once,  who  tried  to  destroy 
a  bed  of  Canada  thistles  by, plowing  them  up.  It  was  a  small 
bed,  covering  only  a  few  square  rods,  but  he  decided  to  plow 
the  field,  in  order  to  exterminate  them.  He  certainly  plowed 
very  deeply,  and  there  were  no  Canada  thistles  to  be  seen  for 
a  while.  But  a  few  weeks  afterwards  he  discovered  what  he 
had  done.  He  had  simply  scattered  the  root  of  these  Canada 
thistles  all  over  his  field,  and  the  next  year  he  had  an  abund- 
ant crop  of  thistles,  a  thousand  times  as  many  as  he  had  ever 
had  before. 

Something  like  this  happens  when  we  attack  an  institu- 
tion of  society.  We  may  scatter  it,  drive  it  into  places  of 
seclusion,  compel  it  to  adjust  its  activities  to  new  relations, 
but  we  will  find,  if  we  try  to.  that  we  have  not  exterminated 
it.  The  sam-e  thing  happens  when  the  saloons  are  closed  on 
Sunday.  Some  people  wish  to  drink  on  Sunday,  and  to  try  to* 
compel  them  to  do  otherwise  is  only  to  make  them  worse.  We 
have  our  choice  between  the  saloon,  with  its  front  door  open, 
where  anyone  may  enter,  or  a  club  room  above  or  behind  the 
saloon,  with  locked  doors. 


264  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

It  may  be  that  the  Sunday  saloon  is  bad,  and  only  bad ; 
but  what  I  claim  is  this :  That  the  Sunday  club  room  is  worse, 
far  worse ;  and  if  I  must  choose  between  the  two  give  me  the 
open  saloon,  where  the  authorities  of  the  city  may  enter  at 
any  time  they  choose. 

We  have  had  two  years'  experience  in  this  city  of  closed 
saloons.  In  spite  of  the  fact  that  these  saloons  were  watched 
by  as  brave  and  efficient  chief  of  police  as  ever  lived,  every- 
body who  knows  anything  of  the  matter  admits  that  Sunday 
drinking  was  increased,  and  the  lawless  element  made  worse 
by  the  change.  The  saloon  proper  was  really  closed,  and  the 
police  often  exceeded  their  authority  in  trying  to  exterminate 
the  club  room,  but  were  utterly  powerless  to  do  so.  Yet  the 
average  reformer  seems  to  be  quite  ignorant  of  all  this. 

Here  we  are  again  confronting  the  difficulty  to  which  I 
have  so  often  alluded.  Those  who  would  reform  society  know 
so  little  about  the  society  they  are  trying  to  reform.  First, 
they  do  not  know,  by  personal  observation,  what  it  is  they  are 
trying  to  reform.  Second,  they  do  not  know  what  they  are 
really  accomplishing  when  they  succeed  in  effecting  any 
change.  If  those  who  would  reform  society  would  really  be- 
come acquainted  with  the  facts  they  are  trying  to  deal  with, 
a  great  deal  of  pernicious  meddling  would  be  averted. 

Suppose,  instead  of  trying  to  exterminate  the  Louisiana 
lottery,  they  had  proceeded  in  the  matter  as  Germany  is  doing. 
Germany  allows  the  lottery  to  exist,  under  the  inspection  of 
the  authorities,  who  carefully  regulate  every  detail  of  the 
matter,  so  as  to  prevent  any  fraud  of  any  kind.  About  fifteen 
per  cent,  of  the  proceeds  are  used  to  pay  salaries  and  govern- 
mental privileges.  The  rest  of  the  money  is  strictly  and  hon- 
estly returned  to  the  people  in  the  form  of  prizes. 

Now,  if  the  people  persist  in  buying  lottery  tickets,  these 
are  the  ones  to  buy,  instead  of  purchasing  of  the  lottery 
that  has  been  dealt  with  according  to  our  methods.  We  fight 
them  just  enough  to  make  them  mad,  they  lose  all  respect  for 


LOTTERIES.  265 

the  authorities,  and  the  whole  affair  degenerates  into  a  sort  of 
a  dog  fight.  Then  they  seek  to  justify  themselves  in  their 
crooked  methods  by  the  fact  that  they  have  not  been  fairly 
dealt  with.  Instead  of  stopping  them,  we  have  only  demoral- 
ized them,  given  them  an  excuse  for  trying  to  get  even  with 
us. 

By  driving  the  Louisiana  lottery  outside  of  the  United 
States,  we  have  added  greatly  to  its  revenue  and  success.  This 
has  tempted  two  other  lotteries  to  begin  operations,  the  Pan- 
American  and  the  Mexican,  both  of  which  have  agents  in  this 
city  selling  their  tickets.  It  is  well-known  that  these  lotteries 
pay  back  again  to  the  people  only  a  small  per  cent,  of  the 
money  they  collect. 

All  this  mischief  has  arisen  as  a  direct  result  of  trying  to 
exterminate  the  Louisiana  lottery,  and  yet  the  average  re- 
former supposes  this  lottery  has  been  exterminated,  and 
boasts  of  the  good  he  has  been  able  to  accomplish.  I  used  to 
do  these  foolish  things  myself,  and  I  can  see  now  very  plainly 
how  ridiculous  I  was.  I  meant  well,  but  I  was  unsophisti- 
cated. My  intentions  were  good,  but  I  was  ignorant.  I  wanted 
to  fix  things  without  knowing  what  was  wrong. 

Jesus  warned  his  disciples  against  trying  to  uproot  the 
tares  that  grow  with  the  wheat,  lest  the  wheat  be  also  uprooted. 
He  said,  u  Let  them  grow  together,  and  when  the  harvest 
comes,  the  reapers  will  then  be  able  to  separate  the  tares  from 
the  wheat." 

Reformers  seem  to  have  forgotten  this.  They  are  not 
willing  to  wait  and  allow  the  different  institutions  of  society 
to  grow  until  the  harvester  comes.  They  want  to  begin  to 
uproot. 

Sooner  or  later,  every  institution  that  does  not  contribute 
to  the  good  of  society  will  be  buried.  Nothing  but  good  has 
eternal  life.  The  way  to  reform  things  is  to  let  them  grow. 
Their  own  worth  or  worthlessness  will  soon  appear  if  let 
alone,  but  under  persecution  they  are  sure  to  thrive.  The 
function  of  law  is  to  protect  people  from  harm,  not  to  pre- 
scribe rules  of  moral  conduct. 


THEOLOGY   AND   RELIGION. 


Dr.   Falkwell  Explains  Some  Points  of  Difference. 


JT  THE  close  of  his  regular  report  last  Sunday  morn 
ing.  Dr.  Talkwell  said : 

Over  a  year  ago,  when  I  began  to  mingle  with 
the  people  instead  of  writing  sermons;  and  visiting 
the  poor  and  outcast  instead  of  visiting  my  wealthy  parish- 
ioners. I  thought  it  would  be  an  excellent  thing  to  open  a 
question  box  every  Sunday  morning  in  this  pulpit.  I  solicited 
written  questions,  but  I  had  no  idea  that  so  many  questions 
would  be  asked.  In  spite  of  every  attempt  I  have  made  to 
answer  them,  they  accumulate  on  my  hands  much  more 
rapidly  than  I  can  dispose  of  them.  I  had  no  idea  the  people 
were  interested  in  so  many  vital  subjects. 

I  shall  never  be  able  to  answer  all  the  questions  I  receive. 
I  can  only  attempt  to  select  from  them  the  ones  I  consider 
the  most  important.  Each  one  of  these  questions  deserves  a 
more  complete  answer,  but  I  shall  have  to  content  myself 
with  a  few  words.  The  first  question  I  select  is : 

"  What  is  the  first  essential  of  religion  ? " 

There  is  only  one  essential  of  religion.  That  is  prayer. 
The  religious  man  is  one  who  believes  in  the  efficacy  of  prayer. 
The  man  who  believes  in  God,  the  Father  of  all  Spirits,  be- 
lieves Him  to  be  near  and  willing  to  help  all  those  who  ask 
Him;  that  man  is  religious.  He  may  never  have  said  a 
formal  prayer;  he  may  never  have  joined  a  church ;  he  may 
never  have  subscribed  to  a  creed,  or  made  a  public  profession 


THEOLOGY    AND    RELIGION.  267 

of  religion  ;  but  if  he  has  learned  to  pray,  aud  is  well  as- 
sured that  his  prayers  do  avail  something,  he  is  religious.  It 
makes  no  difference  whether  he  is  called  a  Christian,  a  Mo- 
hammedan or  a  pagan.  Religion  is  one  the  world  over.  It  is 
a  realization  of  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  and  a  personal,  vital 
experience  of  His  protecting  care. 

The  religious  instinct  is  as  natural  to  man  as  any  other 
instinct.  It  does  not  have  to  be  taught  to  him.  It  is  natural 
to  him.  Creeds  and  theologies,  and  ecclesiastical  institutions 
have  done  more  to  destroy  the  natural  religious  instincts  of 
men  than  they  have  to  help  them.  As  a  class,  the  theologian 
is  no  more  religious  than  any  other  class,  and  I  have  some- 
times doubted  if  they  were  as  much  so. 

He  who  knows  by  experience  that  God  is,  and  is  able  and 
willing  to  help  His  children  in  answer  to  prayer,  has  all  that 
there  is  essential  in  religion,  even  though  he  may  never  have 
seen  that  book  we  call  the  Bible,  or  heard  of  that  ecclesiastical 
institution  we  call  the  church." 

The  next  question  is,  "  What  do  you  consider  essential  in 
theology  ?  " 

u  All  there  is  essential  about  theology  can  be  stated  in  a 
very  few  words,  i.  e.,  the  Fatherhood  of  God,  the  brotherhood 
of  man.  God  is  my  Father,  and  every  man  my  brother,  every 
woman  my  sister.  This  is  my  theology.  This  is  all  there  is 
of  theology  that  amounts  to  anything.  All  the  haggle  and 
wrangle  and  bandy  of  words  about  plans  of  salvation,  about 
probation,  about  inspiration,  about  sanctification,  is  sheer 
waste  of  time  and  consists  of  scholastic  figments.  All  these 
things  were  invented  by  men,  and  used  by  men  as  implements 
of  warfare.  They  have  never  been  of  any  use  to  the  world. 
People  who  believe  them  are  the  worse  for  believing  them,  as 
a  rule. 

That  man  who  believes  that  God  is  the  Father  of  all  man- 
kind, soon  comes  to  believe  that  every  man  is  his  brother,  and 


268  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

every  woman  his  sister.  He  soon  begins  to  shape  his  conduct 
in  accordance  with  this  belief. 

This  is  the  only  creed  that  has  ever  been  of  a  particle  of 
use  in  the  world ;  every  man  my  brother,  every  woman  my 
sister.  No  matter  how  high  or  low,  how  aesthetic  or  vulgar, 
how  learned  or  ignorant,  every  man  my  brother,  every  woman 
my  sister.  This  is  all  there  is  of  my  creed.  I  fall  short  of 
living  up  to  this  creed,  but  it  is  my  ideal,  towards  which  I  am 
striving. 

Here  is  .another  question.  I  ought  not  to  try  to  answer  it 
in  a  few  words,  I  suppose,  but  I  must  either  do  this,  or  neglect 
to  .answer  it  at  all.  The  question  is: 

u  What  is  meant  by  the  term,  Christian  religion?" 

I  used  to  think  I  knew  how  to  answer  this  question,  but  I 
confess  to  you  that  the  more  I  think  about  it  the  less  it  means. 
I  believe  in  Jesus.  I  believe  his  words,  I  believe  in  his 
example,  and  try  to  follow  it  as  far  as  I  can.  I  place  the 
name  of  Jesus  above  all  other  names.  I  am  sure  no  man 
prizes  his  teachings  more  than  I  do,  or  sets  a  higher  value  up- 
on the  influence  he  has  had  upon  this  world. 

Jesus  was  a  religious  man.  So  far  as  I  am  able  to  learn, 
Jesus  was  the  most  religious  man  that  ever  lived,  yet  he  did 
not  found  a  religion.  He  did  not  seek  to  become  the  author 
of  a  new  religion.  We  have  no  right  to  call  religion  by  his 
name.  Religion  was  in  the  world  before  Jesus  came.  Relig- 
ion is  a  natural  instinct  of  the  human  soul.  To  say  "Chris- 
tian religion"  implies  that  Jesus  either  inaugurated  religion, 
or  else  founded  a  new  one.  This  is  ascribing  to  Jesus  some- 
thing he  did  not  claim  or  desire. 

The  example  and  words  of  Jesus  have  led  many  men  to 
believe  and  become  religious,  and  in  their  gratitude  to  him 
they  have  attached  his  name  to  their  religious  experience  ;  but 
strictly  speaking,  there  is  no  such  thing  as  Mohammedan  re- 
ligion, Jewish  religion,  Christian  religion,  Mormon  religion, 
etc.  All  of  these  terms  are  misleading. 


THEOLOGY    AND     RELIGION.  1>69 

Religion  is  religion.  What  we  mean  when  we  say  Chris- 
tian religion,  is  Christian  theology.  What  we  mean  when  we 
say  Jewish  religion,  is  Jewish  theology.  Religion  is  one. 
There  are  many  theologies,  but  there  is  only  one  religion.  I 
never  use  the  term  Christian  religion  myself.  Jesus  Christ 
did  more  than  all  other  men  to  stimulate  the  religious  instinct 
of  man,  but  he  did  not  found  a  religion. 

I  must  content  myself  today  by  answering  just  one  more 
question.  It  relates  to  what  I  said  a  few  Sundays  ago  about 
the  scientist  and  the  theologian.  The  question  is  this,  and  it 
comes  from  a  clergyman  for  whom  I  entertain  the  highest 
respect: 

u  I  read  your  recent  comparison  of  the  theologian  and 
scientist.  I  wish  to  ask  you  if  the  unfavorable  light  in  which 
you  put  the  theologian  does  not  bear  too  hard  on  some  of  the 
more  advanced  theologians,  such  as  Fiske,  Drummond  and 
Gladden?" 

My  answer  to  this  question  is  that  neither  Fiske,  Drum- 
mond nor  Gladden  are  theologians  in  the  sense  in  which  I 
used  the  term.  The  theologian  is  a  man  who  is  trying  to  ac- 
count for  the  universe,  its  past,  present  and  future,  by  the 
study  of  the  Bible.  As  I  explained  in  the  article,  a  theolog- 
ian thinks  the  Bible  contains  all  that  is  necessary  to  know  of 
these  subjects,  and  he  confines  his  studies  to  the  explanation 
of  Scriptural  texts. 

Fiske  is  not  a  theologian,  he  is  a  philosopher.  Drummond 
was  not  a  theologian,  he  was  a  scientist.  No  one  would  have 
ever  thought  of  his  being  a  theologian,  had  he  not  taken  up 
some  of  the  questions  of  natural  theology  and  discussed  them 
by  the  use  of  scientific  methods.  Gladden  is  a  philosopher, 
not  a  theologian.  To  be  sure,  he  uses  the  Bible,  not  so  much 
to  discover  truth,  or  prove  his  assertions,  as  he  does  to  recon- 
cile the  Bible  to  other  sources  of  truth.  Such  a  man  is  not  a 
theologian.  A  full-fledged  theologian  has  an  abhorrence  of 
such  men.  Dr.  Briggs,  by  simply  daring  to  assume  that  there 


270  DK.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

were  any  other  sources  of  revelation  than  the  Bible,  has  got 
himself  into  hot  water. 

I  used  the  word  theologian  to  mean  that  man  who  does 
not  recognize  any  other  authoritative  source  of  theological 
truth  than  the  Bible.  I  do  not  think  I  dealt  unjustly  with 
this  man.  I  think  he  is  entitled  to  all  the  opprobrium  the 
comparison  gave  him. 

Neither  of  the  three  men  above  mentioned  can  fairly  be 
included  among  the  class  I  aimed  at.  Indeed.  I  am  indebted 
for  much  that  I  have  been  saying  to  these  men.  I  have  little 
or  no  difference  with  either  of  them,  and  consider  any  man 
foitunate  who  has  the  privilege  of  profiting  by  their  teachings. 

As  I  said  before,  when  treating  this  subject,  not  all 
preachers  are  theologians,  and,  fortunately,  not  all  theologians 
are  preachers.  A  great  many  men  are  in  the  pulpit  today 
who  are  philosophers  and  scientists.  The  theologian  has  little 
or  nothing  in  common  with  these  men.  He  believes  that  God 
revealed  to  the  world  all  that  he  wants  any  one  to  know, 
through  his  series  of  revelations  which  we  call  the  Bible;  that 
all  we  know  of  God  or  morality  is  learned  from  the  Bible,  and 
to  attempt  to  learn  anything  of  these  things  from  any  other 
source  is  sacrilege.  These  men  hate  science  and  scientists. 
They  despise  philosophy  and  philosophers,  and  are  doing  more 
.harm  to  real  religion  than  any  other  class  of  men." 


A  SERMON   ON  CLEANLINESS. 


Microbe  a  Messenger  of  God  to  Make  Us  Clean. 


ND  God  said,  let  the  earth  bring  forth  the  living 
creature  after  its  kind,  cattle  and  creeping  things, 
and  beasts  of  the  earth,  after  its  kind,  and  it  was  so. 
And  God  made  the  beasts  of  the  earth  after  its 
kind,  and  the  cattle  after  their  kind,  and  everything  that 
creepeth  upon  the  ground  after  its  kind.  And  God  saw  that 
it  was  good  .  And  to  every  beast  of  the  earth,  and  to  every 
fowl  of  the  air,  and  to  everything  that  creepeth  upon  the 
earth,  wherein  there  is  life,  I  have  given  every  green  herb  for 
meat,  and  it  was  so.  And  God  saw  everything  that  he  had 
made,  and  behold  it  was  very  good." 

These  words  are  found  in  the  second  chapter  of  Genesis, 
and  they  thoroughly  commit  the  Bible  to  the  goodness  of  all 
created  things.  If  the  writer  of  Genesis  knew  what  he  was 
talking  about,  there  was  nothing  created  in  vain.  Behind 
every  creation  there  was  a  good  purpose,  a  beneficent  aim. 

If  this  be  true,  then  those  creatures  which  seem  to  be  of 
no  use  on  earth,  whose  function  seems  to  be  an  evil  one,  are 
simply  misunderstood.  If  we  knew  a  little  more  about  them 
we  would  discover  why  the  goodness  of  God  brought  them  into 
being. 

Ever}7  creature  has  its  own  check  against  over  reproduction. 
In  their  struggle  against  each  other  they  rise  and  fall  alter- 
nately, overcoming  and  being  overcome,  ever  and  ever  striving 
to  find  that  balance  which  a  perfect  order  of  things  necessi- 
tates. The  battle  is  on.  We  are  witnesses  of  only  some  very 


272  DR.    TALKWELI/S    SKETCHES. 

small  details,  here  and  there.  The  main  struggle  is  incompre- 
hensible to  most  of  us.  Only  an  abiding  faith  in  God  can 
reconcile  us  to  many  things  we  are  obliged  to  see. 

Out  of  the  multitude  of  God's  creatures  let  us  select  those 
little  foreigners  with  whom  we  have  become  so  recently  ac- 
quainted, known  as  bacteria,  or  disease  germs.  We  are  read- 
ing a  great  deal  about  disease  germs  in  these  days.  Microbes 
are  on  the  lips  of  everybody,  literally  and  figuratively.  We 
seldom  read  anything  about  these  creatures  except  to  their 
disadvantage,  to  their  disparagement. 

What  are  they,  anyway  ?  Are  they  simply  pests  to  human 
life,  invisible  angels  of  death  that  come  to  destroy  without  any 
compensation  of  good  ?  Let  us  see  if  we  can  answer  this  ques- 
tion in  a  few  words. 

Bacteria  constitute  a  very  low  order  of  the  vegetable 
world.  They  belong  to  the  order  way  down  in  the  scale  of 
life,  known  as  protophyta.  They  are  very  infinitesimal,  and 
their  spores  are  so  small  and  light  that  they  are  capable  of 
dancing  in  the  sunbeam,  and  existing  in  great  numbers  in  the 
clearest  water.  They  are  everywhere.  We  cannot  avoid  them. 
There  is  a  great  variety  of  them,  only  a  few  of  which  seem 
harmful  to  the  human  race. 

A  few  of  these  creatures  have  been  selected  by  the  micro- 
scopist  and  have  been  charged  with  very  serious  misdemeanors. 
One  of  them  is  associated  with  typhoid  fever;  another  seems 
to  be  mixed  up  with  the  cause  of  anthrax;  and  still  another 
has  gotten  into  bad  reputation  in  consequence  of  his  relations 
to  the  disease  known  as  tuberculosis.  So  we  might  go  on 
enumerating  disease  after  disease,  which,  it  is  asserted,  that 
some  particular  one  of  these  very  small  creatures  has  caused. 
Whether  these  accusations  rest  upon  the  best  of  evidence  or 
not,  we  will  not  now  stop  to  discuss,  further  than  to  say  that 
there  is  some  ground  yet  for  suspecting  that  their  association 
with  disease  is  incidental  rather  than  causative. 

But  just  now  we  will  lay  this  question  aside,  and  ask  our- 


A    SERMON    ON    CLEANLINESS.  273 

selves  what  function  have  these  creatures  other  than  to  vex 
the  bacteriologist,  and  to  create  a  disturbance  in  the  human 
system?  Are  they  of  any  use?  Have  they  a  wholesome  func- 
tion in  the  universe  ?  Have  they  been  created  in  vain  ?  Are 
they  evil,  and  only  evil  ?  When  God  made  them,  did  He  have 
any  good  purpose  in  view?  Have  we  discovered  in  them  some- 
thing that  is  useless,  superfluous,  always  bad  and  only  bad?  Is 
their  existence  a  blot  upon  the  fair  face  of  nature  and  a  stigma 
upon  'the  work  of  the  Creator  of  the  universe  ? 

It  is,  indeed,  a  very  grave  charge  to  bring  against  a  uni- 
verse created  by  a  good  and  wise  God,  to  admit  that  He  has 
put  into  this  creation  billions  and  billions  of  invisible  organ- 
isms from  which  there  is  no  rescue,  which  are  capable  of 
spreading  disease  and  creating  havoc  to  the  uttermost  ends  of 
the  earth.  Sword  and  famine  cannot  compete  with  their 
destructiveness. 

Thus  far  the  complainant  against  this  microscopical 
creature  seems  to  have  made  a  very  strong  case.  Let  us  rest 
the  case  of  the  plaintiff  for  a  moment,  and  see  what  can  be 
said  in  the  defense  of  the  accused. 

The  lawyer  for  the  defense  arises  and  begs  to  say  that 
these  creatures  were  created  for  a  beneficent  purpose.  That 
even  their  destructive  work  could  not  be  spared  from  the  uni- 
verse, and  that  never,  at  any  time,  have  they  done  anything 
except  good. 

Did  we  ever  stop  to  think  what  becomes  of  the  thousands 
and  millions  of  bodies  of  beasts  and  men  after  they  are  dead? 
Just  consider  the  immense  number  of  beings  that  die  every 
day,  leaving  their  bodies  lifeless  and  useless.  What  becomes 
of  these  bodies?  To  say  that  they  decompose  and  pass  back 
into  the  elements  from  which  they  were  derived  is  to  say  the 
truth.  But  how  do  they  decompose,  why  do  they  decompose? 

Without  these  bacteria,  of  which  we  have  been  speaking, 
they  could  not  decompose.  Every  body  would  lie  exactly  as 
it  was  left  at  death  and  never  change  either  in  bulk  or  form. 


m  DR.  TALK  WELL'S  SKETCHES. 

To  protect  the  body  of  any  dead  creature  from  decomposition 
we  only  have  to  protect  it  from  bacteria.  Each  one  of  these 
dead  bodies  has  extracted  from  the  physical  universe  a  part  of 
its  valuable  material.  Were  it  not  for  the  microbes  who  de- 
compose these  bodies,  and  change  them  back  into  their  ele- 
ments, the  resources  of  the  earth,  particularly  in  nitrogen, 
would  soon  be  exhausted.  As  soon  as  anything  is  dead, 
thousands  of  bacteria  swarm  to  the  spot  and  begin  the  work  of 
disintegration,  and  never  quit  until  it  is  entirely  dissipated 
into  its  original  elements  again. 

The  bacteria  are  God's  scavengers,  keeping  the  face  of 
creation  clean.  The  bacteria  are  God's  sanitary  department, 
who  go  about  in  creation  hunting  for  dead  things,  and  by  their 
magic  touch  changing  them  into  living  elements.  The  bacteria 
are  God's  ministering  angels,  compelling  us,  incidentally,  to 
habits  of  absolute  cleanliness.  The  microbes  would  not  dis- 
turb us  if  we  were  perfectly  clean.  It  is  only  because  we  have 
particles  of  dead  matter  adhering  to  us  that  they  visit  us. 
They  find  their  way  into  the  apertures  of  our  body  ;  they  lodge 
in  the  ear,  the  eye,  the  mouth,  the  nostrils  ;  they  cling  to 
various  portions  of  the  body  simply  because  they  have  found 
there  some  dead  material  that  ought  to  be  decomposed. 

Their  presence  in  large  numbers  within  our  bodies  appears 
to  be  deleterious  to  health.  Whether  they  cause  disease  or 
not,  at  least  certain  kinds  of  them  are  present  in  great  num- 
bers in  certain  diseases;  but  they  would  not  be  there  had  they 
not  found  some  dead  material  upon  which  to  feed.' 

Every  epidemic  that  sweeps  across  our  land  is  a  scourge 
of  God  calling  our  attention  to  some  dirtiness  or  tilthiness  on 
the  part  of  the  people.  It  is  useless  to  kneel  in  our  filth 
and  ask  God  to  stay  the  hand  of  the  plague.  Our  only  hope 
is  to  rise  on  our  feet  and  make  ourselves  clean.  If  man  would 
keep  himself  clean,  externally  and  internally,  by  habits  of 
cleanliness  and  frugality  the  microbes  would  be  ministering 
angels  of  peace  rather  than  death. 


A    SERMON    ON    CLEANLINESS.  275 

As  soon  as  anything  dies,  be  it  great  or  small,  the  sani- 
tary police  of  God's  universe  immediately  come  to  the  spot 
and  begin  the  work  of  taking  the  organism  to  pieces,  and  giv- 
ing it  back  to  the  elemental  storehouse  of  the  universe  from 
which  it  was  originally  taken.  Bacteria  are  like  wreckers  of  a 
railroad  company ;  they  rush  to  the  scene  of  every  disaster  to 
remove  the  debris  and  clean  up  the  tangled  wreck  of 
broken  cars  and  mangled  bodies. 

But,  unlike  human  wreckers,  they  are  very  economical. 
They  are  able  to  save  every  atom  of  the  wreck  and  give  it 
back  again  to  the  treasury  of  nature,  exactly  as  good  as  it  was 
when  it  was  taken.  Nothing  is  wasted.  Every  atom  of  oxy- 
gen, or  nitrogen,  or  carbon,  or  hydrogen,  is  given  back  new, 
clean  and  as  fit  for  use  as  ever  before. 

This  is  the  work  of  the  microbes.  Certainly  a  beneficent 
work,  a  work  which  the  universe  could  not  spare  even  a  single 
day.  The  only  thing  necessary  to  avoid  the  ill  effects  of  these 
munificent  creatures  is  to  keep  clean.  They  would,  not  visit 
us  at  all  had  they  not  scented  or  discovered,  lurking  somewhere 
about  our  anatomy,  some  dead  thing.  They  are  so  very  eco- 
nomical they  cannot  spare  anything.  The  smallest  speck  of 
organic  matter  which  escapes  our  utmost  vigilance  is  sufficient 
to  set  God's  sanitary  forces  astir  and  bring  them  to  the  rescue, 
armed  with  their  delicate  chemistry  and  invisible  instruments 
of  disintegration.  They  will  even  enter  the  juices  of  our  body 
and  ferret  out  any  extraneous  material  they  find  in  chyme,  or 
chyle,  or  blood.  A  clean,  unbroken  skin  is  an  absolute  exter- 
nal armor  against  them ;  but  once  let  this  armor  be  broken  by 
scratch  or  puncture  or  ulcer,  then  these  microscopic  rag-pickers 
and  junk-gatherers  rush  to  the  spot  like  sneak  thieves  and 
pick-pockets  to  a  fire.  And  the  microbes  are  there  for  exactly 
the  same  purpose  that  the  thieves  are,  to  pilfer  or  pick  up  mis- 
placed goods  or  stray  property. 

As  the  skin  protects  the  outside  of  the  body,  so  the  mucous 
membrane  does  the  inside  of  the  body.  So  long  as  this  mem- 


~Ti'>  DR.    TALKWELIAS    SKETCHES. 

brane  is  flawless  and  its  epithelial  covering  intact,  no  microbe 
can  enter  the  sacred  precincts  of  the  human  system,  although 
they  may  swarm  in  inconceivable  multitudes  on  the  tesselated 
pavement  which  nature  has  so  carefully  laid  on  every  square 
millimeter  of  its  delicate  membrane.  A  flaw  anywhere,  a 
pin-point  abrasion,  a  postule,  a  slight  erosion,  a  miniature 
ulcer,  brings  dirt  and  misplaced  matter  which  immediately 
attracts  an  army  of  nature's  street-sweepers,  armed  with 
brooms  and  bag  and  cremating  furnaces.  A  drop  of  pus  is  to* 
these  creatures  what  a  dirty  alley  is  to  an  effective  sanitary 
force;  an  oozing  ulcer  is  an  uncovered  cess  pool  in  a  dirty 
back  yard. 

These  people  complain  when  the  rigors  of  sanitary  law 
insist  upon  making  them  clean  whether  they  wish  it  or  not. 
So  do  we  complain  when  God,  in  His  infinite  wisdom,  makes 
us  clean,  even  though  He  must  kill  us  to  accomplish  it.  Every 
flood  of  epidemic  that  gathers  its  festering  powers  in  the 
crowded  plague  spots  of  Europe  or  Asia  and  sweeps  westward,, 
leaving  in  its  wake  a  dreadful  trail  of  human  sacrifice,  is  the 
chastening  of  a  perfectly  just  God,  trying  to  make  his  world 
clean.  Every  festering  bog  and  miasmatic  swamp  that  is 
pouring  into  our  health-giving  atmosphere  zymotic  poisons,  is 
a  dirty  back  court  which  God  bids  us  clean  up  or  die.  Because, 
if  we  do  not  clean  up.  He  will  send  His  sanitary  force  to  do  it 
for  us,  and  they  will  come  at  his  bidding,  myriads  of  millions 
of  unseen  workers. 

This  prodigious  army  of  infallible  chemists,  though  en 
gaged  in  good  work,  will,  like  the  crusaders  of  old,  who,  with 
the  holy  purpose  of  rescuing  the  sacred  sepulchre  from  pagan 
sacrilege,  spread  rapine,  outrage  and  devastation  over  the 
countries  through  which  they  passed,  so  these  infinitesimal 
crusaders  against  the  sacrilege  of  filth,  when  marshalled  in 
unusual  and  abnormal  numbers,  in  a  limited  area,  will  become 
an  incidental  scourge,  though  moved  by  the  holy  zeal  of 
rescuing  fair  nature  from  the  foul  grasp  of  dirt. 


A    SERMON    ON    CLEANLINESS.  277 

Once  let  our  earth  become  clean,  and  the  inhabitants 
thereof  present  their  bodies  a  pure  and  living  sacrifice,  so  soon 
will  the  function  of  this  vast  horde  be  changed  from  pestifer- 
ousness  to  purification. 

The  law  of  cleanliness,  like  all  other  of  God's  laws,  is  an 
angel  of  peace  to  those  who  obey,  but  a  ministering  angel  of 
wrath  to  the  disobedient  or  heedless.  The  microbe,  like  the 
prophet  of  old,  threatens  only  those  who  defy  God  or  forget 
His  laws.  To  the  clean  the  microbe  is  a  welcome  visitor,  "  for 
he  is  the  minister  of  God  to  them  for  good.  But  if  thou  do 
that  which  is  evil  •'  (either  through  ignorance  or  negligence) 
"  be  afraid,  for  he  beareth  not  the  sword  in  vain,  for  he  is  the 
minister  of  God,  the  avenger,  to  execute  the  wrath  upon  him 
that  doeth  evil,"  upon  him  who  will  not  keep  himself  clean. 


CITY   OF   INFERNO. 


Being  a  Straightforward  Confession    of    its  Mayor,  Ho   Diavolos, 


[R.  TALKWELL  has  spent  much  time  in  investigat- 
ing the  mischief  done  in  society  every  four  years 
by  our  national  elections.  Each  quadrennial  our 
cities  are  stirred  from  top  to  bottom  and  the  worst 
elements  brought  to  the  front  by  contests  which  have  little 
or  no  meaning  except  the  triumph  of  some  political  partj\ 
Last  Sunday  morning  Dr.  Talkwell  delivered  to  a  large 
audience  a  satire  which  set  forth  in  a  unique  manner  the  peri- 
odical destruction  to  society  of  our  presidential  election.  His 
satire  is  delivered  as  if  it  were  a  complaint  made  by  his 
satanic  majesty,  the  devil,  and  is  couched  in  that  quaint  style 
of  old  English  peculiar  to  the  older  theological  writers. 

CITY  OF  INFERNO,  November,  1896. 
To   The  Inhabitants  of  the  Earth,   Greeting ! 

In  these  latter  days,  because  of  the  indifference  of  a  perverse 
generation,  little  is  known  or  written  of  the  Kingdom  of  Dark- 
ness, either  of  its  habitations  or  inhabitants.  Worldly  in- 
terests so  far  outweigh  in  the  minds  of  the  people  of  this 
skeptical  age,  matters  pertaining  to  the  under-world  of  demons, 
that  a  large  number  of  the  people  are  reared  even  from  child- 
hood, with  no  instruction  concerning  it.  It  is  sometimes 
hinted  by  those  who  stand  in  high  places  that  there  be  no 
such  world,  and  even  my  existence  is  denied.  But  more  com- 
monly, my  existence  is  simply  Ignored,  and  neither  the  good 
things  nor  the  bad  things  that  hath  formerly  been  said  of  me, 
have  been  faithfully  taught  to  this  generation. 


CITY    OF    INFERNO.  279 

It  is  loosely  thought  by  the  multitude  diat  I  and  my  king- 
dom hath  a  place  somewhere ;  yet  very  remote  and  indistinct. 
Where  and  how  my  forces  doth  touch  or  plague  the  world,  has 
been  relegated  to  that  shadowy  field  of  knowledge  which  be- 
longeth  to  the  superstitions,  fables  and  old  wives'  tales.  It 
hath  been  many  times  reported  to  me  that  there  is  a  belief 
common  among  men  that  my  kingdom  is  a  sinecure,  and  that 
my  subjects  are  passive  instruments  to  my  behests.  That  all 
who  come  to  me  are  bad  and  only  bad,  and  for  that  reason, 
become  willing  messengers  of  evil  design.  That  since  we  are 
all  agreed  to  do  evil  and  evil  only,  that  we  have  therefore,  one 
purpose,  out  of  which  arises  the  most  complete,  but  Satanic 
order. 

To  correct  this,  and  many  other  misrepresentations,  which 
prevail  concerning  me  and  my  kingdom  which  Medieval  theolo- 
gians, and  even  latter  day  spiritualists  have  failed  to  clear  up, 
I  have  deemed  it  expedient  to  declare  somewhat  in  detail  the 
exact  state  of  my  affairs.  It  is  thought  that  my  sway  in  my 
dominions  is  supreme ;  that  my  will  is  law,  and  that  my  wish 
subdues  everything.  That  all  this  is  accomplished  without  those 
necessary  and  inevitable  tribulations  that  doth  beset  rulers  of 
the  sons  of  men.  In  what  measure  these  things  be  true  of  me 
and  my  dominion,  I  shall  endeavor  to  make  appear. 

In  the  first  place,  it  is  well  known  that  the  materials  with 
which  I  have  to  keep  the  forces  of  Perdition  at  work,  are  fur- 
nished me  from  the  earth.  The  city  of  Inferno,  in  which  I  am 
expected  to  keep  alive  the  horrors  of  pandemonium,  includes 
within  itself  no  intrinsic  evil.  It,  like  other  localities,  depends 
for  any  evil  it  may  possess,  on  its  inhabitants.  If  Inferno 
contains  any  fire  or  brimstone  or  any  other  undesirable  ingre- 
dients, it  is  because  they  were  brought  to  it  by  those  who  have 
been  consigned  to  its  domains.  Our  city  is  justly  reputed  to 
be  a  bad  one,  but- its  badness  in  no  wise  depends  on  its  locality 
or  scenery  or  unwholesomeriess  of  climate,  as  may  have 
been  alleged  ;  but  on  the  moral  condition  of  its  dwellers.  It  is 


280  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

called  hell,  but  it  is  only  so  because  each  newcomer  brings  a 
bit  of  the  unholy  presence  along.  Because  of  the  ungodly 
reputation  of  my  rule  and  subjects,  our  city  hath  become 
famous  throughout  the  length  and  breadth  of  the  earth,  and 
as  yet  we  have  been  able  to  maintain  our  precedence  over  all 
other  cities  of  the  universe ;  although  it  cannot  be  denied  that 
there  be  others  whose  disquietude  is  in  a  measure  like  ours. 

In  the  early  Inferno,  it  did  appear  as  if  it  would  always 
be  no  large  task  to  keep  its  citizens  in  manifest  disquiet  and 
wretchedness.  Two  circumstances  combined  to  make  it  thus. 
First,  only  those  who  were  denominated  impious  are  sent  to 
us,  who  as  a  matter  of.  fact,  do  include  persons  of  strong  indi- 
viduality, otherwise  headstrong,  not  easily  brought  under  any 
form  of  discipline,  or  made  willing  subjects  to  fixed  rules, 
good  or  bad. 

Second,  Inferno,  having  no  government,  but  everyone 
doing  whatever  seemeth  good  in  his  own  mind,  it  was  confi- 
dently expected  that  an  intensified  sort  of  anarchy  would 
continually  ensue.  This  indeed,  was  the  case  for  many  ages, 
which  state  was  rendered  more  certain  by  the  disposition  of 
those  who  continually  found  their  way  to  our  precincts.  In 
those  good  old  days,  Inferno  was  verily  all  that  its  name  im- 
plieth.  Suddenly  freed  from  all  restraint  of  the  arbitrary  laws 
of  men,  the  wretched  multitude  of  lost  souls  came  tumbling 
into  perdition,  a  wrangling,  worrying,  contentious  horde  of 
demons.  Jealousies,  lying,  hatred  and  envy  prevailed  for 
many  ages,  and  hell  was  the  pride  of  all  demondom ;  and 
included  in  its  borders  every  species  of  discord  and  misery. 

But  as  time  waxed  old  and  ages  multiplied,  I  discovered 
to  my  consternation,  a  growing  tendency  toward  a  better  state 
of  things.  There  were  two  circumstances,  which,  taken 
together,  were  silently  working  an  overthrow  of  the  de- 
moniacal spirit  of  my  dominions. 

First,  the  indefinite  duration  of  existence  to  which  all 
mankind  is  subjected  in  the  life  beyond  the  grave,  tends 


CITY    OF    INFERNO.  281 

toward  convincing  them  of  the  folly  of  every  sort  of  unright- 
eousness. During  the  short  period  of  earthly  existence,  many 
mortals  do  not  make  this  discovery,  but  end  their  terrestrial 
careers  in  the  belief  that  well-doing  is  not  as  profitable,  on 
the  whole,  as  evil  devices.  Most  of  those  who  come  here  have 
this  faith  well  grounded,  and  begin  at  once  a  course  of  life  in 
strict  keeping  with  such  faith,  much  to  my  satisfaction.  As 
time  passes,  and  centuries  of  strife  drag  their  weary  length 
along,  the  conviction  gradually  begins  to  steal  into  the  minds  of 
all,  that  no  good  and  much  pain  can  only  come  from  such  a 
course.  Hence  it  is  that  many  do,  of  their  own  accord,  leave 
off  the  turmoil  of  strife  and  contention,  settling  themselves 
down  in  relations  of  peace  and  fraternity.  Their  case  is  ren- 
dered hopeless  of  reformation  by  the  fact  that  each  one  becomes 
convinced  by  his  own  experience  that  much  more  happiness 
is  obtained  by  gentle  and  decorous  behaviour  than  by  anarchy 
or  conquest.  When  this  idea  once  got  foothold  in  our  city, 
it  began  to  spread  very  rapidly,  and  many  became  convinced 
that  peacefulness  and  virtue  were,  after  all,  only  other  names 
for  satisfaction ;  and  since  satisfaction  was  the  very  thing  for 
which  all  had  been  striving  through  the  weary  centuries  we 
had  passed,  it  required  no  argument  to  cause  them  to  give 
heed  to  the  idea  that  had  been  so  long  in  finding  its  way  into 
their  minds. 

Second,  there  being  no  arbitrary  restraints  or  compulsions 
in  our  city,  which  is  devoid  of  any  sort  of  government,  whatso- 
ever, when  once  a  tendency  on  the  part  of  our  society  began  to 
manifest  itself,  it  was  sure  to  spread  through  the  whole  commu- 
nity. This  seems  to  be  true  because  of  the  fact  that  no  one  is 
commanded  to  obey  or  not  to  obey,  and  hence  none  but  natural 
antipathies  and  preferences  are  aroused.  Having  neither  pro- 
selytes nor  policemen,  our  people  are  left  to  select  the  action 
which  pleases  them  most.  Hence,  ideas  spread  naturally 
without  any  abnormal  check  or  assistance. 

These   two  circumstances,  it  was  easy  for  me  to  foresee. 


282  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

would  finally  overthrow  the  perpetual  discontent  of  my  regions 
and  gradually  convert  it  into  that  very  paradise  which  we 
originally  set  out  to  oppose. 

It  became  manifest  to  me  that  something  must  be  done. 
The  heresy  that  righteousness  is  a  more  desirable  thing  than 
lawlessness,  must  be  put  down.  At  first  I  merely  ignored  the 
matter,  knowing  full  well  by  experience  that  opposition  is  the 
best  sort  of  atmosphere  in  which  any  sort  of  heresy  can  thrive. 
I  thought  perchance  it  would  soon  tire  itself  out,  and,  after  a 
season  of  quietude,  the  monotony  of  rest  would  cause  them 
to  relapse  into  their  original  pandemonium.  But  not  so.  The 
heresy  spread.  Vast  territories  of  my  dominions  seemed  en- 
tirely under  its  sway.  The  solemnity  and  peace  of  the  Sabbath 
day  began  to  appear,  mocking  my  power,  and  giving  the  lie 
to  my  pretentious  of  satanic  rule.  I  could  no  longer  hide 
from  myself  the  fact  that  active  interference  with  this  peace 
must  be  made. 

Accordingly  a  council  was  called,  in  which  all  of  my 
cohorts  and  vicegerents  took  part.  There  being  among  my 
hosts  of  imps,  many  who  had  visited  the  remotest  parts  of  the 
universe  on  errands  of  satanic  mischief,  much  information  was 
brought  into  our  council,  concerning  the  ways  of  men  in  all 
parts  of  the  created  universe.  I  found  by  questioning  some 
of  these  that  they  were  acquainted  with  the  customs  of  many 
cities  in  terrestrial  regions,  which,  if  properly  introduced  into 
my  domains,  would  be  likely  to  restore  to  me  the  old  reign  of 
devastation  and  disorder  so  becoming  to  my  city.  For  it  must 
not  be  forgotten  that,  like  as  the  reputation  of  Paradise 
depends  upon  its  heavenly  conditions,  so  also  the  reputation 
of  hell  depends  upon  the  hellishness  of  its  inhabitants.  It 
seemed  to  myself,  and  the  council,  certain  that  if  we  could 
but  introduce  into  the  under-wrorld  of  demons  certain  usages 
which  had  been  adopted  in  many  cities  of  the  earth,  and  more 
especially,  in  the  cities  of  that  particular  domain  known  as  the 
United  States  of  America,  the  glory  of  our  ancient  pande- 


CITY    OF    INFERNO.  283 

monium  would  soon  return  to  us.  We  therefore  decided  to 
found,  in  the  place  of  our  time  honored  anarchy,  a  govern- 
ment in  hell,  which  should  be  copied  faithfully  after  some 
one  of  the  many  municipal  governments  of  earth,  that  the 
quietude  of  pleasant  fraternities  should  be  driven  from  our 
shores,  nevermore  to  return. 

It  will  no  doubt,  appear  trite  and  tedious  to  the  inhabit- 
ants of  any  earthly  city  for  me  to  recite  here  the  details  of  the 
government  which  we  decided  to  adopt,  as  all  who  read  the 
papers,  or  in  any  wise  inform  themselves  concerning  the 
affairs  of  men,  are  already  familiar  with  what  seems  to  us  in 
hell  as  being  new.  But,  nevertheless,  it  seems  expedient  to  me 
that  I  should  depict  in  detail  exactly  the  methods  which  we 
adopted,  even  though  it  may  seem  dull  to  the  reader,  since  it 
worked  so  effectually  and  promptly  to  restore  to  us  that  bitter- 
ness of  spirit  and  general  suspicion  one  of  another  which  all 
men  have  a  right  to  expect  of  those  that  dwell  in  Hades. 

First,  we  divided  our  inhabitants  into  two  companies. 
We  called  one  company  Republicans,  and  the  other  company 
we  called  Democrats.  Then  we  said  to  the  company  that  we 
called  Democrats  :  *•  Bestir  thyself,  now,  and  elect  of  thy  com- 
pany a  goodly  number  of  persons  to  rule  over  hell.  Appoint 
some  persons  to  make  laws,  and  other  persons  to  execute 
them,  and  still  other  persons  to  judge  of  the  correctness  of 
these  laws.  Leave  no  natural  fraternity  or  activity  of  our 
inhabitants  untouched.  Prescribe  arbitrary  rules  for  every- 
thing. Indicate  no  faith  whatever  in  the  natural  tendency  of 
things,  for  this  has  already  destroyed  our  pandemonium  and 
reduced  us  to  that  sickly  and  saddening  condition  known  as 
peace.  Make  laws,  make  laws,  make  plenty  of  them  !  Provide 
people  with  guns  and  clubs  to  execute  them.  Select  the 
people  to  carry  these  guns  and  clubs  from  among  those  who 
are  strong  and  brutal,  if,  indeed,  there  be  any  such  left  in 
hell." 

Then,  we  called  to  us  the  other  company  of  people,  named 


284  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

Republicans,  and  repeated  to  them  the  same  things  that  we 
had  said  to  the  Democrats,  and  we  sent  the  two  companies 
abroad  to  begin  their  work  of  devastation. 

After  many  months  of  turmoil,  agitation,  slander,  vitu- 
peration, and  every  species  of  unholy  feeling,  the  Democrats 
succeeded  in  gathering  the  largest  number  of  votes,  by  which 
means  their  company  of  law-makers  and  rulers  were  elected. 
The  nature  of  the  conflict  was  such  that  only  the  worst  people 
constituting  the  victorious  company  succeeded  in  obtaining  an 
office.  Those  who  were  inclined  to  be  fair,  and  reasonable, 
and  peaceful,  would  not  consent  to  do  those  things  which  are 
required  of  those  who  receive  such  offices. 

The  rule  of  the  Democrats  began.  Their  whole  thought 
was  to  so  rule  the  people  as  to  insure  their  re-election,  while 
the  behavior  of  the  other  company  was  entirely  actuated  by 
the  desire  to,  in  some  way,  defeat  their  re-election.  It  aiforded 
us  great  pleasure  to  note  that  quietude  and  order  had  been  ban- 
ished from  among  us,  and  hostility  and  hatred  had  become 
•commonplace. 

Knowing  the  capacity  of  human  nature,  however,  to  ad- 
just itself  to  any  condition,  we  feared  to  leave  the  Democrats 
in  power  too  long,  because  even  brutal  men  become  human- 
ized after  the  novelty  of  brutality  has  passed,  and  the  natural 
tendency  to  be  kind  to  all  men  begins  to  assert  itself.  In 
order  to  avert  this  calamity,  as  soon  as  the  slightest  tendency 
to  peace  began  to  manifest  it&elf  we  caused  the  Republicans 
to  win  an  election,  and  thus  stirred  up  again,  in  their  original 
fury,  the  scorching  flames  of  wrath  and  the  suffocating  fumes 
of  envy  and  disappointment. 

We  noted  with  glee  that  the  new  order  of  things  was 
always  a  little  worse  than  the  old  order;  that  newly  invested 
authority  always  brought  its  rich  crop  of  arrogance  and  inso- 
lence. But  such  is  human  nature  that  to  leave  either  com- 
pany in  power  too  long  was  sure  to  produce  symptoms  of 
content  and  apathy  in  our  society.  Greed,  after  a  time  becomes 
satiated ;  lust  becomes  surfeited ;  anger  becomes  appeased ; 
cruelty  satisfied ;  then  to  let  loose  another  hungry  horde  who 
had  been  long  kept  back  from  enjoying  these  felicities,  acted 


CITY    OF    INFERNO.  285 

as  an  unfailing  panacea  against  every  semblance  of  fraternity 
and  good  will.  Thus,  when  the  fires  of  hell  begin  to  languish, 
and  its  inhabitants  begin  to  forget  their  misery  and  wretched- 
ness, we  have  only  to  change  our  administration.  We  have 
only  to  put  the  u  ins  "  out  and  the  u  outs  "  in,  to  fully  realize 
the  ancient  glory  of  hell,  where  fire  and  fumes  do  burn  and 
suffocate,  night  and  day,  without  end. 

These  companies  differ  in  nothing  concerning  any  import- 
ant subject.  Their  only  wish  is  to  beat  each  other.  Like  as  a 
stoker  doth  stir  the  fires  in  order  that  flame  and  fuel  may  be 
properly  commingled,  so  doth  hell,  today,  stoke  its  fires 
periodically,  by  having  an  election,  by  which  those  in  power 
are  put  out,  and  those  that  have  no  power  are  put  in. 

Oh,  thou  cities  of  the  United  States,  receive  the  blessing 
of  thy  erstwhile  master,  Diavolos.  Call  me  no  longer  .master, 
but  call  me,  rather,  humble  pupil  and  beneficiary.  Thou  hast 
taught  me  the  secret  of  perpetual  and  everlasting  discord. 
Thou  hast  shown  me  the  way  to  keep  ever  alive  hatred  and 
envy  in  the  hearts  of  creatures  who  are  naturally  inclined  to 
love  each  other. 

The  methods  that  thou  hast  taught  me  are  ample  and 
multitudinous.  We  have  adopted  them  all.  We  have  our 
national  elections,  once  in  four  years,  in  which  hell  is  set  in 
motion  from  center  to  circumference.  We  have  our  state 
elections.  We  have  our  city  elections.  We  have  commissions, 
and  boards,  and  councils,  numberless,  so  that  a  continual  tur- 
moil doth  happen,  ever  repeating  itself,  making  quietude 
impossible  and  good  cheer  impracticable. 

Only  those  few  incorrigible  ones  who  turn  from  this  whole 
governmental  scene  in  disgust  have  anything  resembling  hap- 
piness. To  those  we  are  sending  missionaries,  continually 
exhorting  them  to  bestir  themselves  and  take  part  in  govern- 
mental affairs,  and  thus  it  is  we  keep  their  company  to  be  a 
small  one  and  have  little  or  no  influence  in  our  affairs. 

Thus  hell  has  become  hell  again,  and  pandemonium  is 
once  more  pandemonium.  To  thee,  Oh,  Earth,  be  all  the 
praise,  forevermore,  Amen. 


THE  SALVATION   ARMY. 


"  Come  Unto  Me  All  Ye  that  are  Weary  and  Heavy  laden,  and  1 
Will  Give  You  Rest." 


R.  TALK  WELL'S  work  takes  him  among  the  fol- 
lowers of  the  Salvation  Army.  He  has  become  con- 
siderably acquainted  with  these  boisterous  evangels 
of  the  common  people.  On  the  last  night  of  every 
year,  they  have  what  is  known  as  a  "  Watch  meeting."  To 
watch  the  old  year  out  and  the  new  year  in  with  shout  and 
song,  with  prayer  and  exhortation,  is  their  program.  The 
Doctor  attended  one  of  these  meetings  recently  and  gave  a 
description  of  this  experience  last  Sunday  morning.  He  spoke 
as  follows : 

Every  seat  taken  at  Salvation  Army  headquarters. 
Standing  room  growing  scarce.  Temperature  90  degrees 
Fahrenheit.  Ventilation  villainous.  Air  thickening  every 
moment.  A  crazy,  crashing,  oft-repeated  chorus,  accompanied 
by  drums,  tambourines,  clapping  of  hands  and  an  irregular 
volley  of  hallelujahs,  glorys  and  amens,  make  the  thick  air  of 
the  many-scented  room  tremulous  with  an  indescribable  din. 
An  atmosphere  so  stifling,  a  confusion  so  complete,  that  the 
caterwaul  of  the  grimy  street  urchin,  the  guffaw  of  the 
uncouth  soldier  and  the  ribald  jeer  of  the  "  tough,"  entirely 
escape  notice. 

The  master  of  ceremonies,  by  the  aid  of  a  fierce  looking 
drum-stick,  quickly  cleared  a  place  on  the  front  seat  large 
enough  for  the  spectator,  who  hereafter  enjoys  the  dubious 


THE    SALVATION    ARMY.  '281 

privilege  of  sitting  close  to  the  orchestra,  between  two  sooty, 
smoking  "  brands  from  the  burning,"  whose  dose  of  salvation 
has  been  so  large  and  frequent  as  to  produce  a  mental  condi- 
tion closely  resembling  intoxication. 

There  was  no  theme,  no  plot,  no  text,  no  logical  sequence, 
no  program,  no  order  of  services;  just  one  continuous,  spon- 
taneous, variegated  hubbub.  About  two  dozen  Salvationists, 
of  assorted  sizes  and  sexes,  occupy  a  raised  platform,  some 
sitting,  some  standing,  some  kneeling;  all  shouting  or  praying 
or  laughing  or  crying  or  singing,  with  faces  toward  the  audi- 
ence, whose  presence  they  seemed  entirely  to  ignore.  The 
captain,  who  acted  as  interlocutor,  trainer,  ring-master  and 
drum-major,  divided  his  attention  between  stirring  up  the 
enthusiasm  of  his  cohorts,  and  harangueing  the  audience  for 
ajust  one  more  nickel." 

Pale,  haggard,  bedraggled  mothers  were  there,  with  puny 
babes  in  arms ;  mothers  who  looked  with  eager  but  sad  eyes 
toward  the  platform,  as  if  they  expected  somehow  or  someway 
out  of  this  frantic  powwow  would  come  something  to  relieve 
their  weary,  dragging  lives.  Fathers  were  there,  whose  brutal, 
unwashed  faces  were  creased  with  lines  of  a  fixed  despair ; 
who,  cowed  by  want  and  bullied  by  hard  labor,  were  vaguely 
hoping  that  the  God  of  the  poor  and  the  ragged  might  at  last  be 
cajoled  by  this  tornado  of  petition  to  bring  relief  to  the  poor 
and  confusion  to  the  rich.  Maidens  were  there,  to  ogle  and 
titter;  young  men  to  swagger  and  swear;  children  played 
about,  conscious  only  that  they  were  warm  and  happy.  Ignor- 
ance and  low  cunning,  self-conceit  and  abasement  mingled 
and  moved  together,  unmindful  of  everything,  each  wrapped 
in  his  own  mood. 

Still  they  shout  on,  although  long  since  hoarse  and  sleepy. 
Still  they  drum;  still  they  clap;  still  they  try  to  laugh,  al- 
though midnight  draws  near.  Like  debauchees  who  have 
already  passed  the  stage  of  hilarious  stimulation  and  begin  to 
succumb  to  the  inevitable  drowsiness  that  comes  when  the 


288  DR.    TALK  WELL'S    SKETCHES. 

night  is  far  spent,  yet  determined  to  keep  up  the  pretense  of 
having  a  good  time — so  these  poor  fellows,  loyal  to  their 
banner,  true  to  their  convictions,  whip  and  prod-  their  tired 
bodies  until  midnight  comes,  when  they  at  last,  perhaps  for  the 
first  time,  really  do  hear  the  voice  of  God  calling  them  to  sleep, 
saying :  u  Come,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  and  I 
will  give  you  rest." 

They  begin  to  file  out  now ;  those  who  have  comfortable 
homes  first,  boisterously,  with  rude  jest,  jostling  each  other 
noisily  as  they  come  down  the  steps ;  those  who  have  no 
homes,  or  cold  homes,  reluctantly,  lingeringly,  as  if  to  catch 
one  more  grateful  breath  from  the  huge,  red-hot  stove  that 
warms  the  room,  the  remembrance  of  which  must  warm  them 
through  the  long,  cold  night  that  follows. 

The  Salvationists  linger  for  awhile  for  a  short,  informal 
conference  before  parting,  when  follow  hearty  handshakes,. 
u  God  bless  you,"  'l  Brother,  good  night,"  "A  happy  new  year, 
Sister,"  "  Bless  the  Lord,"  etc.,  etc.,  and  the  last  foot-fall  has 
ceased  to  reverberate  through  the  empty  halls  and  dirty  stair- 
ways. 

Only  one  remains  in  the  now  gloomy,  dark  room, 
which  so  short  a  time  ago  was  full  of  light  and  life  and  warmth. 
The  captain  is  alone  in  the  far  corner,  across  which  he  stretches 
a  shabby  curtain,  improvising  for  himself  a  bedroom,  for  his 
collections  have  been  meagre  lately ;  he  cannot  afford  to  hire 
a  room.  His  smoking  lamp  partly  dispels  the  dusty  gloom  for 
a  few  feet  around.  He  has  counted  the  few  pennies  of  the 
evening's  "  offering,"  and  is  eagerly  munching  a  sandwich 
which  one  of  his  faithful,  known  on  the  street  as  "  Silly 
George,"  had  contributed  to  his  good  cheer  for  the  coming 
holiday.  He  has  earned  a  good  appetite  and  fortunately  his 
feast  is  not  marred  by  the  knowledge  that  the  soft  bun  covers 
and  the  delicious,  liberal  slice  within,  were  put  together  in  a 
saloon  hard  by,  one  of  the  places  he  had  only  a  moment  before 
been  so  sincerely  denominating  "  the  gateway  to  hell,"  u  the 


THE     SALVATION    ARMY.  289 

devil's  palace/'  It  was  a  good  sandwich,  saloon  scripture 
measure.  u  pressed  down  and  shaken  together  and  running 
over,"  and  in  scriptural  thankfulness  was  it  eaten,  followed  by 
a  drink  of  hydrant  water  from  a  tin  cup. 

As  the  clocks  in  the  church  towers  are  striking  one,  he 
prepares  his  bunk  of  blankets  on  the  floor.  His  devotions  are 
not  forgotten,  but  kneeling  beside  his  humble  bed,  he  begins. 
From  force  of  habit,  he  prays  aloud  —  not  merely  aloud,  but 
loudly,  vociferously.  He  pleads,  he  argues,  he  petitions,  he 
expostulates,  he  flatters,  he  confesses,  he  bewails.  He  reminds 
God  of  His  promises,  he  quotes  to  Him  the  Scriptures,  and  puts 
his  case  violently,  convincingly.  He  takes  the  kingdom  by 
force. 

He  prays  :  u  Here  I  am,  oh  Lord ;  in  the  midst  of  a  wicked 
city,  preaching  thy  word,  because  thou  hast  sent  me.  I,  a 
weak  and  unworthy  worm  of  the  dust,  even  I  have  dared  in 
thy  strength  to  lift  up  my  voice  against  the  iniquity  of  a  per- 
verse generation.  I  have  proclaimed  thy  message  by  the  way- 
side, and  on  the  street  corner  I  have  not  withheld  thy  gospeL 
But  the  people  heed  not  thy  word,  nor  listen  to  thy  precepts. 
The  rulers  of  the  city  seem  only  inclined  to  plunder,  the 
people  wag  their  heads  as  I  pass  by,  and  the  churches  of 
Mammon  look  on  in  haughty  silence.  Even  the  poor  and 
downtrodden  to  whom  I  have  been  sent,  are  taught  to  distrust 
my  message,  because  my  words  are  the  words  of  an  unlettered 
man.  Many  false  prophets  have  arisen,  who  teach  the  people 
a  strange  gospel,  even  the  words  of  the  devil,  who  did  tempt 
my  Master. 

"  These  lying  prophets  teach  the  people  of  the  glories  of 
the  kingdom  of  this  world  ;  they  teach  words  of  cheer  and  com- 
fort to  the  rich  and  arrogant,  and  the  poor  have  no  place  in  their 
synagogues.  These  lying  prophets  build  high  temples  filled  with 
costly  furniture  into  which  the  poor  and  dirty  are  afraid  to 
enter.  They  say  in  mockery  to  the  poor  4  Come! '  and  rail  at 
them  because  they  dare  not  come.  The  rich  have  bought  high 


290  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

places  in  the  houses  of  these  lying  prophets,  and  they  say  to 
the  poor:  ;  Sit  thou  here  at  my  feet.'  They  teach  not  the 
words  of  the  Master  :  'Woe  unto  you,  Scribes,  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites, ye  make  clean  the  outside,  while  within  is  all  unclean- 
ness  ;  ye  make  long  prayers  for  pretense,  then  ye  devour 
widows'  houses  and  oppress  the  poor.' 

u  They  no  longer  say,  as  thou  has  taught  me  to  say :  '  Ye 
compass  earth  and  sea  to  make  one  proselyte  and  when  ye 
have  made  him,  he  is  twofold  more  child  of  hell  than  your- 
selves.' They  have  no  message  for  the  rich  and  mighty,  ex- 
cept words  of  cheer.  They  reprove  only  the  poor,  the  de- 
graded. They  preach  of  soap  and  water;  they  talk  of  ambi- 
tion and  education.  They  speak  of  culture  and  better  fitting 
raiment.  They  say  not  as  thou  hast  taught  me:  'Come  unto 
me,  all  ye  who  are  wea^  and  I  will  give  you  rest.'  They  say 
instead  'I  will  give  you  other  burdens  —  more  burdens.'  They 
would  take  from  the  poor  the  meagre  pleasures  they  now  have, 
and  give  instead  a  task,  a  lesson.  If  the  poor  ask  for  the 
bread  of  the  gospel,  they  give  them  a  stone  from  Sinai. 

u  Into  the  midst  of  these  iniquities  in  high  places,  and 
degradation  of  the  low  places,  thou  hast  sent  me  to  proclaim 
thy  word.  I  am  like  the  prophet  of  old,  under  the  juniper 
tree.  I  am  oppressed  with  my  loneliness.  Like  Moses  before 
the  burning  bush,  my  speech  faileth  me.  Like  Jonah  beside 
the  withered  gourd,  my  message  seemeth  a  vain  one. 

''  But  thou,  friend  of  the  poor,  thou  who  didst  choose  the 
lowly  and  the  degraded  ones,  thou  who  lovest  the  sinner  and 
rebukest  the  rich,  come  thou  to  my  assistance.  I  have  desert- 
ed all  for  thee.  I  have  suffered  hunger  and  cold,  my  name  has 
become  a  byword  and  they  have  cast  me  out  of  their  syna- 
gogues, because  I  carry  neither  purse  nor  scrip  as  thou  didst 
bid  me.  To  whom  can  I  go  but  thee,  in  my  distress  and  dis- 
couragement? Touch  the  heart  of  some  one  of  thy  professed 
ministers  in  this  Babylon  of  iniquity,  that  I  may  at  least  have 


THE     SALVATION    ARMT.  291 

one  brother  to  speak  cheering  words  when  my  soul  is  over- 
whelmed." 

At  last  his  weary  body  yields,  his  importunities  flag,  his 
vigils  cease.  In  sheer  exhaustion  he  stretches  himself  on  the 
coarse  blanket  without  undressing,  and  is  received  at  once 
into  the  embrace  of  the  great  restorative  and  healer  of  all 
woes  —  sleep.  Here  his  troubles  have  a  temporary  end.  The 
disappointments  of  the  day  have  yielded  to  the  soothing  sense 
of  oblivion.  No  harassing  dreams  of  an  outraged  conscience 
disturb  him.  No  haggard  spectres  of  wrongs  committed  touch 
him  with  clammy  fingers;  but  peacefully,  with  long-drawn 
breaths,  in  the  regalia  of  his  chosen  people,  he  is  answered  at 
last,  trouble  has  vanished,  peace  and  calm  and  God's  benedic- 
tion are  his — a  benediction  He  never  gives  to  the  undeserving 
—  sweet,  rejuvenating  sleep.  The  scripture  is  fulfilled  :  u  He 
giveth  His  beloved  sleep." 

The  cold  moon-beams  make  more  hideous  the  desolation 
of  the  deserted  room.  The  scamper  of  the  rats  with  scavenger 
intent,  as  they  ravenously  sort  the  litter  left  by 'the  departed 
congregation,  sounds  strangely  loud  in  the  hollow  room.  The 
unsteady  step  of  some  belated  roisterer  outside,  finding  his 
way  home,  is  scarcely  audible.  The  steeple  clocks  are  striking. 
The  new  year  is  already  three  hours  old. 

Three  hundred  and  sixty-five  days  of  hopeless,  useless, 
pathetic  toil  await  the  unconscious  sleeper  in  the  new  year. 
Three  hundred  and  sixty-five  nights  of  frantic,  unheeded 
appeal  to  motley  multitudes,  lie  before  him.  It  is  well  that 
Futurity  guards  safely  her  secrets  from  him.  It  is  well  Hope 
weaves  her  magic  spell  about  him.  Poor  fellow !  an  uncon- 
scious martyr  to  the  ever-recurring  belief  that  some  time  or 
other,  God  will  reveal  Himself  to  man  by  a  great,  strong  wind, 
an  earthquake  or  a  fire,  rather  than  by  the  still,  small  voice 
within. 


A  DEBTOR  TO  GRACE. 


By  Martha  Talkwell  (Marion  Carr.) 


}OHN  FLETCHER  sat  huddled  in  a  disconsolate  bundle 
of  second  hand  clothing  and  unkempt  despair  on  the 
stone  floor  of  corridor  A,  in  the  city  prison.     He  was 
slated  vagrancy  and  suspicion.     His  sentence  was  ten 
days  and  costs,  and  he  had  yet  a  week  to  serve. 

It  was  the  same  old  story  of  out  of  work  that  we  hear  so 
often.  Some  one  had  recommended  Columbus  ;  he  had  come, 
had  applied  at  place  after  place  in  vain,  and  wandered  about 
the  streets  until  almost  every  policeman  in  the  city  had 
spotted  him  as  a  likely  candidate  for  the  city  prison.  In  short, 
he  was  typical  of  the  class  of  men  who  get  into  corridor  A  of 
the  city  prison.  If  a  man  has  done  anything  really  deserving 
imprisonment,  he  is  sent  to  the  workhouse,  for  a  period  of 
from  twenty  days  to  three  years.  But  when  a  man  is  shabby 
and  out  of  work  and  a  stranger,  and  has  stood  about  the  street 
corners  for  a  certain  length  of  time,  when  it  becomes  fairly 
probable  that  his  next  move  will  be  either  theft  or  train-jump- 
ing, he  is  run  in  for  loitering,  vagrancy  or  suspicion. 

Such  men  are  generally  arrested  in  squads  of  three  or 
four,  brought  into  the  court  room  together,  and  lumped  off  in 
their  sentences.  This  had  been  John's  experience.  There 
were  three  other  men  standing  on  the  same  corner,  whose 
clothes  were  in  practically  the  same  condition,  whose  hag- 
gard, dirty  faces  were  covered  with  the  stubble  of  a  week, 
whose  last  meal  dated  anywhere  from  three  to  ten  hours 
back,  and  whose  breaths  were  scented  variously  from  onions 
to  straight  whiskey. 


A    DEBTOR    TO    GRACE.  293 

John  had  never  seen  any  of  them  before ;  but  the  four 
men  were  run  in  as  a  gang.  They  slept  in  the  north  corridor 
that  night,  and  were  brought  before  the  judge  next  morning. 
They  straggled  out  into  the  court  room,  as  only  tramps  can 
shuffle,  with  an  uneven,  sidewise  gait,  and  ranged  themselves 
before  the  prosecutor.  They  had  no  defense,  and  the  police- 
man who  made  the  arrest  testified  against  them — ragged, 
slouching,  heads  down,  the  little  manhood  that  yet  remained 
cowed  into  submission,  the  target  for  sly  jeering  and  stage 
whispered  remarks  from  the  mob  of  men  and  boys  gazing  at 
them  across  the  railing  of  the  lobby. 

"  Loitering  and  suspicion,"  said  the  policeman. 

John  Fletcher  felt  an  almost  irrepressible  desire  to  cry 
out,  to  demand  a  chance  as  a  man  of  honor  and  strong  mus- 
cles and  willing  hands.  His  three  companions  had  pled  guilty 
and  he  was  standing  silent,  distraught,  unheeding.  The  pros- 
ecutor rapped  on  his  desk.  , 

"Guilty,  or  not  guilty?"  he  asked  in  the  resigned  mono- 
tone that  comes  of  frequent  repetition.  John's  head  ached, 
he  was  tired  from  a  sleepless  night,  everything  seemed  so 
hopeless.  He  drew  a  long  breath,  and  straightened  up  for  an 
instant. 

"  Guilty,  your  honor,"  he  said  wearily;  and  was  hustled 
off  the  quicker  for  his  tardy  response. 


And  now  he  was  sitting  in  corridor  A,  on  the  stone  floor, 
wishing  he  had  never  been  born.  The  reflection  of  the  sun- 
dappled  river  quivered  on  the  ceiling.  It  would  not  take 
long,  John  thought,  to  walk  from  the  door  to  the  bridge,  when 
he  was  released,  and  jump  over.  It  was  a  cowardly  thought, 
no  doubt,  but  he  had  had  nothing  but  bread  and  water 
and  salt  for  a  week,  and  was  dirty  and  bilious,  which  con- 
ditions do  not  tend  to  raise  a  fellow's  spirits. 

There  were  voices  at  the  door,  and  the  turning  of  a  key  in 
its  lock. 


294  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

u  Another  poor  devil,"  said  John  to  himself,  with  a  vague 
stirring  of  pity. 

He  looked  up  carelessly  enough,  but  his  attention  was 
arrested  as  soon  as  he  saw  the  people  who  had  entered.  A 
man,  of  perhaps  fifty,  slightly  gray,  with  a  keen,  yet  kindly 
expression  in  his  sensitive,  refined  face ;  a  gentleman  in  dress 
and  manner.  His  companion  was  a  young  woman,  whose 
almost  childishly  slim  figure  was  gowned  as  became  a  ladyr 
simply,  but  in  faultless  taste.  The  turnkey  brought  a  couple 
of  chairs  for  them,  then  withdrew  and  locked  the  door.  John 
heard  some  one  say,  uDr.  Talkwell,"  in  an  undertone.  He 
remembered  having  heard  the  name  before,  but  could  not 
recollect  where. 

The  gentleman  carried  a  basketful  of  fruit  of  various 
kinds. 

"  Good  afternoon,  gentlemen,"  he  said  genially.  "  I 
thought  perhaps  you  might  like  some  fruit.  If  one  of  you  will 
carry  this  basket  my  daughter  will  distribute  it  among  you." 

The  girl  stood  close  to  John  Fletcher,  who  had  risen  as 
she  entered,  and  she  glanced  up  at  him,  smiling : 

"You  will  carry  it,  won't  you?"  she  asked  gently, 
touched  by  the  mute  despair  in  his  face. 

John  flushed  at  her  words,  and  said,  "  Thank  you," 
scarcely  realizing  why  he  did  so. 

The  men  formed  in  line,  and  the  young  girl,  as  John 
passed  each  one,  gave  him  a  liberal  portion  of  the  fruit,  paus- 
ing now  and  then,  with  a  question  as  to  preference,  or  a  word 
of  recognition.  The  men  followed  her  with  their  eyes,  some 
in  surprise,  some  in  reverence,  others  with  a  conscious  pride 
in  their  eyes,  because  she  had  remembered  them  from  some 
previous  visit. 

When  each  had  had  a  share,  she  told  John  that  what  re- 
mained was  his,  adding  archly  : 


A    DEBTOR    TO    GRACE.  295 

u  Unless  you  will  give  me  one  tiny  apple  ? "  making  him 
feel  by  her  delicate  tact  that  he  was  the  donor,  instead  of 
herself. 

''Did  someone  say  that  your  father's  name  is  Dr.  Talk- 
well  ?  "  asked  John  presently. 

u  Yes,"  answered  the  girl, "  and  I  am  his  second  daughter, 
Ruth.  Did  you  never  see  him  before  ? " 

Dr.  Talkwell,  hearing  his  name  spoken,  turned  toward 
them,  with  a  question,  and  Ruth,  nodding  brightly,  walked 
down  the  corridor  to  speak  to  an  old  acquaintance. 

In  five  minutes  John  Fletcher  had  told  the  doctor  all  his 
heartache  in  broken,  bitter  words,  and  his  genial,  sympathetic 
listener  had  cheered  him  more  than  he  could  have  imagined 
possible  an  hour  before. 

"  Perhaps  we  will  be  in  again  before  you  leave,"  said  Dr. 
Talkwell  at  parting.  "  But  if  I  am  not,  be  sure  to  visit  me 
before  you  leave  the  city." 

He  gave  John  his  card,  and,  calling  to  Ruth,  passed  out 
of  the  corridor,  leaving  a  brightness  and  cheer  behind  him 
which  only  honest  good  feeling  can  inspire. 

o 

During  the  next  week  John  often  thought  of  his  new 
friends,  and  when  he  was  released,  made  up  his  mind  that  he 
would  go  immediately  to  Dr.  Talkwell  for  advice.  He  was 
somewhat  surprised  at  the  location  of  the  doctor's  residence. 
He  had  supposed  that  he  must  live  in  an  exclusive  neighbor- 
hood from  his  appearance,  and  the  class  of  people  he  met  on 
his  way  to  Dr.  TalkwelPs  house  almost  astonished  him.  The 
house  itself  was  a  great,  rambling  brick  structure,  with  only  a 
bit  of  lawn  before  it.  For  a  moment  he  thought  he  had  mis- 
taken the  street,  but  as  he  neared,  he  saw  on  the  door  plate  in 
bold  letters,  aDr.  Talkwell,"  and  mounting  the  steps,  rang  for 
admission. 

The  door  was  opened  by  a  young  woman  of  about  twenty, 
with  a  serious,  kindly  expression  in  her  gray  eyes. 


296  DR.    TALKWELI/S    SKETCHES. 

u  Good  morning,"  she  said,  smiling.  "  Did  you  wish  to 
see  my  father  ?  Come  in." 

John  Fletcher  folio  wed -her  into  a  large,  square  room, 
rather  barely  furnished,  but  warm  and  cheery  enough  to  John. 
There  was  a  writing  desk,  a  broad  lounge,  a  table  covered  with 
books,  and  a  reading  lamp,  several  plain  chairs,  and  a  number 
of  rugs  on  the  bare  floor.  The  bright  wall  paper  gave  a  cheer- 
ful aspect  to  the  room,  and  there  were  a  great  many  pictures 
— unframed  illustrations  from  magazines  and  papers — grouped 
about  not  inartistically,  which  spoke  mutely  of  the  presence  of 
women. 

"  My  father  is  not  here  just  now,"  said  his  guide,  drawing 
up  a  chair  for  him,  close  to  the  open  fire.  "  He  is  in  Police 
court  this  morning — there  is  a  trial  which  interested  him.  But 
I  am  sure  it  will  not  be  long.  Are  you  in  a  great  hurry  ? " 

"  Not  particularly,"  said  John  grimly.  "  I  just  came  from 
there  myself.  By  the  way,  if  I  may  be  so  bold,  are  you  Miss 
Ruth  Talkwell's  sister?" 

"Yes,"  answered  the  girl,  UI  am  Martha  Talkwell. 
Where  did  you  meet  Ruth — down  there  ?  " 

uYes;  she  and  your  father  brought  some  fruit  to  the 
prison  a  few  days  ago,  and  I  carried  the  basket  for  Miss  Ruth. 
Is  she  at  home?" 

As  he  spoke,  there  was  a  rustle  of  skirts  in  the  hall,  and 
Ruth  entered.  Her  dark  hair  hung  in  a  heavy  braid  over  the 
scarlet  blouse  she  wore,  and  she  was  playing  with  a  tiny  white 
kitten.  Seeing  the  stranger,  she  recognized  him  at  once,  and 
coming  toward  him,  held  out  her  hand  unaffectedly. 

<c  Good  morning,"  she  exclaimed.  "  I  am  very  glad  to  see 
you.  Have  you  been  out  long?  " 

"  About  three  hours,"  answered  John,  laughingly. 

Martha  had  taken  a  bit  of  sewing  from  a  basket  near  her, 
and  Ruth  close  by  continued  to  play  with  her  kitten  as  they 
talked.  It  was  perhaps  an  hour  before  Dr.-  Talkwell  returned 
bringing  in  a  little  rush  of  the  chilly  November  air  with  him. 


A    DEBTOR    TO    GRACE.  297 

"  You  remember  Mr.  Fletcher,  papa,"  said  Ruth,  as  he 
•came  into  the  room.  u  He  wants  to  talk  to  you,  and  I'll  go 
and  see  how  dinner  is  progressing." 

"  Father,"  said  Martha,  as  she  rose  to  follow  Ruth,  "  how 
did  Pearl's  trial  come  out  ? "  She  pushed  back  a  heavy  lock 
of  hair  from  his  forehead,  as  she  spoke,  caressingly. 

"  Three  months  in  the  workhouse,"  answered  her  father. 

"  Oh,  I  am  glad,"  said  the  girl.  "Perhaps  that  is  long 
enough  for  her  to  realize  what  danger  she  is  in.  I  must  go 
over  tomorrow  and  see  her." 

She  smiled  and  nodded  to  John,  as  she  passed  out. 

"  Glad,"  echoed  John  wonderingly.  u  Glad  to  see  a 
woman  sentenced  to  three  months  in  the  workhouse  ? " 

"  Martha  has  an  impulsive  way  of  speaking,"  answered 
Dr.  Talkwell.  "  She  means  that  she  is  glad  to  see  this  woman 
removed  from  evil  influences  and  companions,  and  placed 
among  good  ones  for  a  time.  It  is  often  the  salvation 
of  a  bad  man  or  woman  to  be  sent  to  the  workhouse 
for  awhile.  This  woman  we  were  speaking  of,  for  instance, 
is  a  young  girl  who  is  scarcely  started  in  a  bad  life. 
She  has  had  no  guidance  in  her  youth,  and  is  cursed 
with  a  pretty  face  and  some  vanity.  While  she  is  imprisoned, 
she  will  be  kept  clean  in  person,  clothing  and  conversation. 
She  will  see  every  day  pure  women — those  in  authority  at  the 
workhouse.  She  will  hear  inspiring  words  every  Sunday; 
and  often  during  the  week  some  good  woman  makes  it  her 
duty  to  spend  an  hour  or  two  with  the  women  confined  there. 
If  a  woman  is  truly  repentant  and  really  desires  to  lead  a  bet- 
ter life,  it  is  made  comparatively  easy  for  her  to  do  so.  There 
are  two  women  in  my  house  now  who  have  served  terms  in 
the  workhouse." 

"  And  do  you  let  those  creatures  associate  with  your 
daughters?"  exclaimed  John  Fletcher. 

"Why  should  I  not  ?"  answered  the  doctor.  "Is  there 
anything  in  the  life  of  a  miserable  outcast  that  could  possibly 


298  DR.    TALKWELL'S     SKETCHES. 

tempt  or  contaminate  my  daughters  ?  And  is  there  not  much 
in  the  purity  and  gentleness  of  their  lives  to  inspire  and  help, 
a  sinning  sister  ?  But  let  us  consider  yourself.  Have  you  any 
prospect  of  work  ? " 

u  No,"  said  John  bitterly.  a  That  was  my  offense  against 
the  community.  I  had  no  work." 

a  What  is  your  trade  ? "  asked  Dr.  Talkwell.  ignoring  his 
last  words. 

"  I  am  a  cook  by  trade,  sir,  but  1  can  do  anything  that 
requires  a  strong  arm  and  a  willing  hand." 

"  A  cook?  Is  that  so?  I  believe  I  heard  my  wife  saying 
at  the  breakfast  table  that  our  last  cook  had  got  a  position. 
Would  you  care  to  stay  here  and  work  for  your  board,  until 
you  find  another  place  ? " 

"  Would  I  care  to !  Oh,  Dr.  Talkwell,  what  can  I  say  to 
thank  you  ?  I  had  actually  contemplated  suicide  before  I  saw 
you ;  I  was  penniless,  without  a  prospect  of  work,  no  place  to 
stay,  no  way  even  to  leave  without  stealing  a  ride  —  would  I 
care  to  stay  ?  " 

"  There,  there  !  Don't  excite  yourself,"  said  Dr.  Talkwell 
kindly,  and  half  laughingly.  "Now.  would  you  like  to  bathe 
before  dinner,  and  brush  your  clothes  a  little  ?  " 

Stepping  to  the  door  he  called  Ruth,  and  bade  her  show 
Mr.  Fletcher  to  a  room.  "  Dinner  will  be  ready  as  the  clock 
strikes  twelve,"  he  called  after  them. 

When  John  Fletcher  came  down  stairs  into  the  dining 
room  half  an  hour  later  the  long  table  offered  only  one  vacant 
place,  which  Dr.  Talkwell  told  him  to  take.  The  doctor  sat  at 
one  end  of  the  table,  and  Mrs.  Talkwell,  a  matronly,  sunny- 
faced  woman  of  forty,  opposite  him.  There  were  four  places 
laid  at  either  side,  for  this  meal;  although,  as  Mrs.  Talkwell 
said  laughingly  to  John,  the  number  of  the  family  varied  at 
almost  every  meal. 

Dr.  Talkwell  introduced  him  to  the  two  women  and  three 


A    DEBTOR    TO    GRACE.  29fr 

men,  who  were  his  companion  guests.  As  the  doctor  had 
said  the  women  had  both  served  sentences  in  the  workhouse, 
but  they  were  earnestly  trying  to  do  better,  and  their  plainr 
tired  faces  bore  witness  that  u  the  way  of  the  transgressor  is 
hard." 

One  of  the  men  had  just  been  released  from  the  peniten- 
tiary. Another  was  an  ordinary  tramp  who  had  that  morning 
asked  for  something  to  eat,  and  had  been  doing  some  odd  jobs 
of  cleaning  during  the  forenoon.  The  third  was  a  young  fel- 
low who  was  trying  to  get  started,  with  no  money  but  a  great 
deal  of  ambition.  He  had  made  his  home  with  the  Talkwell& 
almost  ever  since  they  took  their  new  a  parsonage."  and  took 
care  of  the  doctor's  horse  for  his  board,  having  plenty  of 
leisure  for  his  own  work. 

Such  were  the  guests  of  the  Talkwells.  An  onlooker 
would  have  supposed  them  to  be  a  single  family,  so  uncon- 
strained and  lively  was  the  conversation.  To  John,  it  was  a 
revelation.  He  had  never  seen  anything  like  it  in  his  life, 
and  he  longed  to  ask  Dr.  Talkwell  many  questions  regarding 
this  new  philanthropy. 


The  dining  room  was  a  large,  square  room,  with  no  carpet 
save  a  mat  of  oil  cloth  under  the  long  table.  There  was  an 
open  fire  here  also,  and  the  walls  were  covered  with  warm 
hued  paper,  with  groups  of  unframed  pictures  here  and  there. 
The  table  looked  very  cosy  and  inviting  with  its  red  cloth. 
Martha  had  always  insisted  on  having  either  a  growing  plant 
or  a  bowl  of  flowers  as  a  center  piece,  and  the  scarlet  blossoms 
of  the  homely  geranium  made  a  vivid  spot  of  color  among  the 
plain,  but  substantially  filled  dishes. 

As  John  looked  from  the  bright,  refined  faces  of  the  two 
sisters  to  the  haggard,  sallow  countenances  of  the  two  women 
next  them,  and  from  the  matronly  gentleness  of  Mrs.  Talkwell 
and  genial  good  fellowship  of  her  husband  to  the  rough 
faces  of  the  men,  something  of  the  divine  truth  of  the  brother- 
hood of  all  men  crept  into  his  mind  that  could  never  afterward 
leave  it.  And  when  a  man  has  comprehended  that  men  are 
brothers,  does  not  the  thought  of  a  common  fatherhood  follow 
speedily  ? 


300  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 


Dr.  Talkwell  had  several  errands  during  the  afternoon, 
and  as  John  wished  to  talk  with  him,  the  two  men  drove  away 
in  the  doctor's  buggy  shortly  after  two.  A  little  way  from 
the  house,  a  tall  young  lad,  in  his  early  teens,  with  an  armful 
of  school  books  under  his  arm,  hailed  them  to  ask  the  doctor 
a  question. 

u  That  is  my  son,"  said  Dr.  Talkwell,  as  they  drove  on. 
"  He  is  just  returning  from  school.  If  you  are  interested  in 
African  explorers,  or  Arctic  expeditions,  get  Mark  started  this 
evening.  He  will  amuse  you." 

John  Fletcher  will  never  forget  the  conversation  he  had 
with  Dr.  Talkwell  as  they  drove  through  the  busy  street.  The 
ready  sympathy,  fatherly  counsel  and  quick  suggestion  were 
so  unusual  and  welcome  that  his  heart  warmed  with  gratitude 
toward  his  new  friend. 

And  the  nature  of  his  errands  was  a  continual  surprise 
and  wonder  to  John.  He  stopped  at  a  cheap  music  hall  to 
invite  the  family  of  a  second-rate  "  variety  artist  "  to  dinner  on 
Thanksgiving.  He  went  to  a  high-toned  saloon  and  held  an 
earnest  conversation  with  the  bartender.  From  a  call  at  an 
aristocratic  residence,  he  turned  into  an  alley  to  leave  a  bottle 
of  medicine  for  an  old  colored  washer  woman,  and  finally 
finished  his  errands  by  stopping  at  the  City  Hall  for  a  conver- 
sation with  the  Mayor. 


It  was  five  o'clock  when  they  reached  home  again. 

"  Now.  John,"  said  Dr.  Talkwell,  as  they  sat  before  the 
study  fire  again,  "  When  you  are  warm,  I  will  turn  you  over 
to  my  wife  and  let  her  see  what  sort  of  a  supper  you  can  fix 
up."' 

"  Very  well,  sir.  But  what  would  you  advise  me  to  do 
about  getting  a  job?  Do  you  have  any  system  about  that?" 

"  No,"  said  the  doctor.  u  But  if  1  were  you,  I  think  I 
should  not  try  to  stay  here.  It  will  be  very  hard  to  get  a 
foothold,  because  your  prison  record  will  follow  you  as  long  as 
you  stay.  Have  you  anybody  you  could  write  to  who  could 
help  you  ?  Some  friend  or  relative  out  of  the  city  ?  " 

John  pondered  for  awhile.  u  I  know  a  steamboat  captain 
on  Lake  Superior,  who  used  to  be  a  chum  of  mine  in  school," 
he  said  at  last.  "  You  see.  doctor,"  he  added,  "  most  of  my 
friends  are  employees  themselves.  I  have  no  very  aristocratic 
friends." 

"  The  bone  and  sinew  of  society  are  the  working  classes," 
said  the  doctor.  u  Suppose  you  write  to  your  captain,  anyhow, 


A    DEBTOR    TO    GRACE.  301 

and  tee  what  he  can  do  lor  you.  Here,  turn  around  to  the 
desk  now,  you  will  have  time  if  you  hurry,  and  there's  a  post- 
box  close  by.  Get  it  done  with." 

The  letter  was  soon  written  and  despatched,  and  in  half 
an  hour  John  Fletcher,  in  linen  coat  and  big,  white  apron  was 
bustling  about  the  Talkwell  kitchen  as  it  he  had  been  one  of 
them  for  a  month  instead  of  a  day. 

There  were  two  new  guests  for  supper,  and  one  of  the 
dinner  guests  had  gone.  One  of  the  women  helped  him  with 
the  supper  and  the  Talkwell  sisters  came  in  a  few  moments 
before  it  was  served  to  add  the  finishing  touches  to  the  table. 

Ruth  had  a  new  picture,  and  as  she  stood  on  a  chair 
fastening  it  in  place,  said  over  her  shoulder : 

u  Martha,  see  here  !  This  bit  of  wall  has  been  starving 
for  my  picture.  Can't  you  remember  back  now,  and  see  how 
lonely  it  looked  before  ? " 

u  Yes,"  said  Martha,  uand  I  can  make  a  simile,"  turning 
to  John  who  had  entered  with  a  dish,  as  Ruth  was  speaking. 
u  Doesn't  John  fit  in  as  if  we  had  been  waiting  for  him  ?  Can. 
you  imagine  how  we  managed  before  he  came  ?  " 

John  flushed  with  pleasure.  "  Thank  you,  Miss  Martha," 
he  said,  "  I  am  glad  if  I  can  be  of  any  use.  I  had  almost  come 
to  the  conclusion  that  I  was  of  no  more  use  than  a  dead  tree 
— simply  a  blot  on  the  landscape." 

"  Ah,  but  we  can  use  even  a  dead  tree  for  fire-wood,  and 
so  it  is  useful,"  said  Ruth,  laughing. 


After  supper,  when  everything  was  tidy  for  the  night,  the 
big  family  gathered  about  the  study  fire. 

u  Martha,  did  you  say  you  had  a  story  to  read  ? "  asked 
Dr.  Talkwell. 

"  Yes,  father,"  replied  the  girl.  "  It  is  not  very  long — I 
do  not  think  it  will  be  tiresome.  Shall  I  read  it  ? " 

Every  one  was  willing,  so  drawing  her  chair  close  to 
the  lamp,  she  began  to  read.  It  was  a  simple  story  with  a 
touch  of  pathos  and  a  bit  of  quaint  humorY  and  she  read  it 
well.  Ruth  was  curled  up  on  the  sofa  with  her  kitten.  Mrs. 
Talkwel)  had  her  mending  basket.  The  doctor  sat  with  closed 
eyes  in  his  deep  arm  chair,  with  his  son's  head  against  his 
knee.  The  guests  sat,  some  in  shadow,  others  in  the  glow 
of  the  firelight.  And  John,  who  had  a  liberal  dash  of  the 
artistic  in  his  nature,  looked  at  the  scene  with  a  keen  sense  of 
its  beauty  and  uniqueness. 

After  the  story,  John  remembered  what  Dr.  Talkwell  had 


302  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

said   and   "  started "  Mark   on  Arctic   explorers,  and   the  re- 
mainder of  the  evening  was  spent  in  conversation. 

John  Fletcher  remained  at  the  Talkwell's  for  a  week.  He 
received  a  letter  promptly  from  his  friend,  the  steamboat  cap- 
tain, telling  him  to 'come  on  immediately,  as  the  boat  was  with- 
out a  cook,  and  John  gladly  and  yet  reluctantly  prepared  to 
leave  his  new  friends.  Dr.  Talkwell  procured  him  free  trans- 
portation to  the  city  where  his  friend  was  to  meet  him,  and 
went  with  him  to  the  station. 


John's  parting  with  Mrs.  Talkwell  and  her  daughters  was 
very  affectionate.  These  three  good  women  seemed  almost  to 
take  the  place  of  the  mother  and  sisters  he  had  never  known. 

"  Good-bye,"  said  Mrs.  Talkwell.  "  God  bless  you,  John. 
Let  us  hear  from  you  sometime — and  be  a  good  boy."  There 
was  a  tender  earnestness  in  her  voice  that  made  the  simple 
words  a  benediction. 

"  Good-bye,"  said  Martha,  holding  out  her  hand.  "  Do  not 
forget  us.  We  hope  great  things  for  you." 

And  then  John  Fletcher  turned  to  Ruth,  and  something 
that  was  almost  a  sob  rose  in  his  throat. 

"  Little  Ruth  !  "  he  said,  and  caught  her  hands  closely — 
u  Little  Ruth —  I  shall  never  forget  you.  God  bless  you — 
good  bye !"  He  suddenly  raised  both  little  hands  to  his  lips, 
and  was  gone,  before  she  could  frame  a  reply. 


At  the  station,  as  the  two  men  paced  up  and  down  the 
long  corridor,  John  spoke  suddenly. 

"There  is  no  use  trying  to  thank  you,  Dr.  Talkwell,"  he 
said  fervently.  "  There  is  nothing  I  can  do,  but  remember, 
and  pray  that  sometime  I  may  be  able  to  repay  you  somehow, 
for  what  you  have  done  for  me." 

"  You  can  thank  me,  John."  said  Dr.  Talkwell.  u  You  can 
repay  me." 

"  Tell  me  how,  sir;  I  will  do  any  thing  in  my  power." 

"  You  must  pass  it  along,"  said  Dr.  Talkwell.  "  The  next 
time  an  opportunity  occurs  to  help  somebody  out,  do  it.  You 
are  under  obligations  to  humanity.  You  must  payback  in  like 
coin  that  which  you  owe.  Some  day  a  poor,  struggling  brother 
will  need  you,  as  you  needed  me.  He  may  not  even  ask  you 
to  help  him,  but  you  must  do  it.  Remember  you  not  only  can, 
but  must  repay." 

With   this   strange  warning   in    his   ears,  John   Fletcher 


A    DEBTOR    TO    GRACE.  303 

boarded   the  train,  wondering  in  what  guise  his  opportunity 
would  come. 

Several  months  later,  Dr.  Talkwell  was  speaking  in  a  mis- 
sion. As  he  left  the  rostrum  after  the  services,  an  eager  faced 
young  man  approached  him. 

a  Are  you  Dr.  Talkwell,  sir  ? "  he  asked. 

"  I  am,"  replied  the  doctor. 

"  Then  sir,"  exclaimed  the  young  man,  "  It  is  to  you  that 
I  owe  my  life."  He  grasped  the  doctor's  hand,  his  eyes  shin- 
ing with  tears. 

"  How  can  that  be,"  asked  the  doctor,  "  when  you  have 
never  seen  me  before  ?  " 

u  I  will  tell  you.     Have  you  time  for  a  story  ? " 

^  Walk  home  with  me,  and  tell  me  on  the  way,"  replied 
Dr.  Talkwell.  After  he  had  spoken  to  several  waiting  people, 
and  they  were  on  the  street,  the  young  man  began : 

u  About  three  months  ago,  I  was  a  deck  hand  on  a  freight 
steamer  on  Lake  Superior,  penniless,  almost  friendless,  un- 
known. I  was  taken  sick  en  route.  They  thought  it  a  malig- 
nant fever,  and  the  captain  was  to  put  me  off  at  the  next 
logging  camp.  For  some  reason  the  cook  on  the  steamer 
interceded  for  me.  '  It  would  be  murder,'  he  said.  '  The  man 
is  delirious,  almost  dying.'  The  captain  replied  that  it  was 
better  one  man  should  die  than  the  whole  crew.  '  If  you  put 
him  off,  I  will  stay  with  him,  said  the  cook.  The  captain,  who 
seemed  to  be  a  friend  of  his,  tried  to  reason  with  him,  but  the 
cook  was  firm. 

u  We  were  put  off  at  a  practically  deserted  logging  camp. 
There  was  a  big  saw  mill  and  a  few  cabins  for  the  hands,  but 
it  was  not  the  logging  season,  and  only  a  handful  of  men  re- 
mained. Of  course  they  were  afraid  of  me,  and  I  was  put  in 
a  tumble-down  cabin,  removed  from  the  rest.  The  cook 
stayed  with  me  constantly,  waiting  on  me  like  a  mother. 

u  It  was  bitterly  cold,  but  he  bundled  me  up  as  well  as  he 
could,  kindled  a  fire  in  the  rickety  fire-place,  and  tried  to  make 
the  room  comfortable.  The  first  night  we  were  there,  the  cabin 
burned  to  the  ground.  He  carried  me  senseless  and  muttering 
in  delirium  to  a  sheltered  place,  and  helped  the  men  put  out 
the  fire,  before  it  spread  to  the  trees. 

u  He  stayed  with  me  all  through  the  fever  and  the  con- 
valescence, patient  and  gentle  as  a  woman.  When  I  had  got 
nearly  well  again,  I  said  to  him  one  day : 

u  i  John,  why  did  you  do  all  this  for  me  ?  You  never  saw 
me  before.  I  am  a  poor  useless  tramp,  and  yet  you  threw  up 


304  DR.    TALKWELL'S    SKETCHES. 

your  job,  endangered  your  life  and  health  to  nurse  me.  Why 
did  you  do  it?  There  must  be  a  reason.' 

ut  There  was  a  reason,  Jim,'  he  said,  ;I  didn't  dare  do  any- 
thing else.  I  had  a  debt  to  pay,  and  I  knew  the  opportu- 
nity had  come.' 

u  He  told  me  then  of  you,  and  how  you  had  befriended 
him,  and  of  your  last  words.  4It  was  Dr.  Talkwell,  Jim,'  he 
said,  k  who  nursed  you,  who  saved  your  life.  I  was  only  his 
tool,  and  if  ever  you  see  him,  I  want  you  to  tell  him  my  debt 
is  paid.  But  in  paying  it  I  have  learned  the  joy  of  helping,, 
of  giving,  and  I  shall  always  feel  that  I  have  a  debt  to  pay 
whenever  an  opportunity  comes.' 

u  And  so,  sir,"  exclaimed  the  young  man,  ayou  see  it  was 
really  you  who  saved  my  life." 

When  Dr.  Talkwell  retold  the  story  to  his  family,  they 
were  all  pleased  and  interested,  but  a  glad  light  came  into 
Ruth  Talkwell's  eyes — "  Oh,  I  am  so  glad!"  she  exclaimed 
fervently,  u  I  always  knew  he  was  one  of  God's  noblemen." 
She  turned  to  the  window,  and  pressing  her  forehead  against 
the  cool  pane,  looked  up  into  the  calm  spring  sky  with  its 
myriads  of  stars.  "  God  bless  you  John,"  she  whispered. 
"  May  His  angels  watch  over  you,  and  keep  you  ! " 


So  spread  the  influences  from  this  Christian  household — 
as  surely  and  naturally  as  sunshine.  Perhaps  it  is  a  youth 
discouraged  by  his  first  failure,  who  is  given  a  fresh  start  that 
changes  the  course  of  his  whole  life.  Perhaps  it  is  a  young 
girl  dazzled  by  her  own  youth  and  flattered  to  the  brink  of 
destruction.  Perhaps  an  old  man  tottering  toward  the  un- 
known with  no  loving  hand  to  guide  him.  Or,  one  like  John, 
in  the  flush  of  manhood,  brow-beaten  and  cowed  by  repeated 
failures. 

Each  goes  forth  with  that  message  in  his  ear,  "  Pass  it 
along ! "  Many  forget  it,  many  disregard  it ;  the  wheat  is 
sowed  often  among  rocks  or  thorns.  But  when  it  does  fall 
upon  good  soil,  its  influence  is  far-reaching  and  it  is  multiplied 
a  hundred  fold. 

No  institution  can  take  the  place  of  friendly  sympathy 
and  communion.  No  church  is  so  helpful  as  a  Christian  house- 
hold. The  influence  of  happy  lives  and  warm  hearts  is  the 
influence  of  love — and  love  is  God. 


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